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bar·ren

barren

 
 
pronunciation:
bae rn
parts of speech:
adjective, noun
features:
Word Combinations (adjective, noun), Homophone Note, Word Explorer
part of speech: adjective
definition 1: unproductive; nonproducing.
No crops can grow in this barren desert.The land he purchased turned out to be barren, and the family was forced to return east.
 
synonyms:
infertile, sterile, unfruitful, unproductive
antonyms:
fertile, fruitful, lush, productive
similar words:
desert, desolate, fruitless, poor, useless, waste, worthless
definition 2: lacking or bereft (usu. fol. by "of").
This is a novel barren of imagination.
synonyms:
destitute, devoid, lacking, wanting
similar words:
arid, deficient, lean, poor, sterile, void
definition 3: incapable of conceiving and bearing young; sterile.
Believing the queen was barren, the king took another wife.
synonyms:
infertile, sterile
antonyms:
fecund, fertile, productive, prolific
similar words:
impotent
definition 4: dull; uninteresting.
He is unfortunately possessed of a barren personality.
synonyms:
boring, dull, insipid, jejune, uninteresting, vapid
similar words:
arid, dreary, dry, flat, lean, prosaic, stale, sterile, tame, unimaginative, uninspiring
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part of speech: noun
definition: (usu. pl.) flat or slightly sloping area of infertile soil and scrubby vegetation.
similar words:
badlands, flats, moor
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derivations: barrenly (adv.), barrenness (n.)
Homophone Note
The words barren and baron sound alike but have different meanings.
Word Explorer
See
  desert