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- 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
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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
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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
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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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related words: |
abortive, alpine, bald, bleak, dreary, effete, empty, innocuous, stark, vacant, wild |
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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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related words: |
desert, land, waste |
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derivations: |
barrenly (adv.), barrenness (n.) |
The words barren and baron sound alike but have different meanings.
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