arid

[ ar-id ]

adjective

1. being without moisture; extremely dry; parched:

   arid land;

   an arid climate.

2. barren or unproductive because of lack of moisture:

   arid farmland.

3. lacking interest or imaginativeness; sterile:

   an arid treatment of an exciting topic.

   Synonyms: uninspiring, dreary, pedantic, jejune, uninspired, vapid, tedious, dull

   Antonyms: imaginative, spirited, exciting, interesting, lively

arid

/ ˈærɪd; əˈrɪdɪtɪ /

adjective

1. having little or no rain; dry; parched with heat
2. devoid of interest

arid

/ ăr′ĭd /

1. Very dry, especially having less precipitation than is needed to support most trees or woody plants. Deserts have arid climates.

Derived Forms

• aridity, noun
• ˈaridly, adverb

Other Words From

• a·rid·i·ty [uh, -, rid, -i-tee], ar·id·ness noun
• ar·id·ly adverb
• hy·per·ar·id adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of arid¹

First recorded in 1645–55; from French or directly from Latin āridus, equivalent to ār(ēre) “to be dry” + -idus adjective suffix; -id ⁴; ash ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of arid¹

C17: from Latin āridus, from ārēre to be dry

Synonym Study

See dry.

Example Sentences

In fact, unless humans significantly reduce burning fossil fuels, the international team of scientists found that by 2080 to 2100, anywhere from 7 percent to more than one-third of frog habitats will become too arid for survival.

From Salon

Think about how vulnerable those hundreds of thousands of displaced children are in Lebanon, one of the most arid countries in the world.

From Los Angeles Times

They would wait under the tree on a late September day until a smuggler led them to a gap in the wall, where 70 miles of arid terrain stretched between them and Tucson.

From Los Angeles Times

All sorts of pines, shrubs and so much more in a region usually thought of as arid.

From Los Angeles Times

The Central Valley would deconstruct into a patchwork dotted with arid, tumbleweed-filled dust zones.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• barren
• bone-dry
• desert
• dusty
• parched