barren

American  

[bar-uhn] / ˈbær ən /

adjective

1. not producing or incapable of producing offspring; sterile.

   a barren woman.

   Synonyms:

   infertile, unprolific, childless

   Antonyms:

   fertile

2. unproductive; unfruitful.

   barren land.

   Synonyms:

   waste, infertile

   Antonyms:

   fertile

3. without capacity to interest or attract.

   a barren period in American architecture.

   Antonyms:

   fertile

4. mentally unproductive; dull; stupid.

   Antonyms:

   fertile

5. not producing results; fruitless.

   a barren effort.

   Synonyms:

   ineffective, ineffectual

   Antonyms:

   fertile

6. destitute; bereft; lacking (usually followed byof ).

   barren of tender feelings.

   Antonyms:

   fertile

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noun

1. Usually barrens. level or slightly rolling land, usually with a sandy soil and few trees, and relatively infertile.

barren British  

/ ˈbærən /

adjective

1. incapable of producing offspring, seed, or fruit; sterile

   a barren tree

2. unable to support the growth of crops, etc; unproductive; bare

   barren land

3. lacking in stimulation or ideas; dull

   a rather barren play

4. not producing worthwhile results; unprofitable

   a barren period in a writer's life

5. (foll by of) totally lacking (in); devoid (of)

   his speech was barren of wit

6. (of rock strata) having no fossils

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Related Words

See bare ¹.

Other Word Forms

• barrenly adverb
• barrenness noun
• unbarren adjective
• unbarrenly adverb
• unbarrenness noun

Etymology

Origin of barren

First recorded in 1200–50; Middle English barayn(e), bareyn(e), from Anglo-French barai(gn)e, Old French brahaigne ( French bréhaigne “sterile”), akin to Spanish breña “scrubby, uncultivated ground,” Upper Italian barena “land along a lagoon covered by high water,” all of disputed ultimate origin; perhaps from Celtic (compare Irish branar, Welsh braenar “fallow land”); alternatively, perhaps from a Germanic source akin to Old English bær, Old High German bar ( bare ¹ ( def. ) )

Example Sentences

In these cases, intense grazing by urchins can strip seafloors of plant life, damaging marine habitats and creating so-called "urchin barrens."

From Science Daily

One trouble the author faces is advancing age, an obvious complication for anyone scaling a rocky summit or padding through barren winter wastes.

From The Wall Street Journal

The scene from the second-floor windows is less appealing: Acres of dirt lots, barren trees and a handful of construction sites—painful reminders of the costliest wildfire on record and the still-long recovery effort ahead.

From The Wall Street Journal

As a child, Doricko had been obsessed with a videogame called “Spore,” where he turned barren landscapes into lush new worlds.

From The Wall Street Journal

Under a contentious deal inked with Australia this year, the island nation will provide 30-year visas for up to 350 immigrants -- many convicted of serious crimes -- for resettlement on the barren atoll.

From Barron's

Related Words

• arid
• desolate
• empty
• impoverished
• infertile
• parched
• sterile