Barren — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective noun /ˈber-ən/ bar·ren

Meaning & Definition of Barren

Barren (adjective)

  1. not reproducing
  2. incapable of producing offspring —used especially of females or matings
  3. not yet or not recently pregnant

Barren (noun)

  1. an extent of usually level land having an inferior growth of trees or little vegetation
  2. a tract of barren land

Barren (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. producing inferior or only a small amount of vegetation

    "if tobacco fields aren't allowed to lie idle once every few years, they will become barren"

    similar: bony, dead, desolate, hardscrabble, impoverished, infertile, poor, stark, unfertile, unproductive, waste
    related: bleak, inhospitable, lifeless, uncultivable, untillable, bankrupted, consumed, debilitated, depleted, diminished, drained, dried-up, enfeebled, exhausted, expended, lessened, reduced, spent, used up, arid, desert, droughty, dry, rainless, sere, thirsty, waterless, baked, dehydrated, parched, sunbaked
    opposite: fertile, fruitful, lush, luxuriant, productive, rich
    near: arable, tillable, green, sylvan, verdant

  2. not able to produce fruit or offspring

    "the pear tree appears to be barren"

    similar: fruitless, impotent, infertile, sterile, unfruitful
    related: altered, desexed, neutered, sterilized, castrated, emasculated, gelded, spayed, unproductive
    opposite: fat, fertile, fruitful
    near: fecund, luxuriant, productive, prolific, enriched, fertilized, rich, impregnated, pregnant, potent, bearing, producing, yielding, blooming, bursting, flourishing, swarming, teeming

  3. producing no results

    "that line of investigation proved barren, so the police tried other avenues"

    similar: abortive, bootless, empty, fruitless, futile, ineffective, ineffectual, inefficacious, otiose, profitless, unavailing, unproductive, unprofitable, unsuccessful, useless, vain, in vain, no dice, not worth the candle, of no avail
    related: hollow, idle, meaningless, pointless, valueless, worthless, hopeless, impossible, lost, no-win, unattainable, inadequate, insufficient, lacking, wanting, counterproductive
    opposite: deadly, effective, effectual, efficacious, efficient, fruitful, potent, productive, profitable, successful, virtuous
    near: meaningful, worthwhile, adequate, sufficient, applicable, feasible, functional, practicable, practical, realizable, usable, workable

  4. utterly lacking in something needed, wanted, or expected

    "their proposal for revitalizing the downtown business district is utterly barren of useful ideas"

    similar: bankrupt, bare, bereft, destitute, devoid, void
    related: blank, empty, innocent, stark, vacant, wanting, deficient, fragmental, fragmentary, incomplete, insufficient, partial, short, absent, missing
    opposite: filled, flush, fraught, full, replete, rife
    near: furnished, provided, supplied, brimming, bulging, bursting, chock-full, crammed, crowded, fat, jammed, jam-packed, loaded, packed, saturated, stuffed, abounding, swarming, teeming, thick, thronging

Barren (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. land that is uninhabited or not fit for crops

    "lived out in the barrens where it was impossible to grow anything"

    similar: desert, desolation, heath, no-man's-land, waste, wasteland
    related: badland, brush, bush, dust bowl, open, open air, outdoors, out-of-doors, nature, wild, wilderness

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Barren

The most common words with a similar meaning to Barren:

bony, dead, desolate, hardscrabble, impoverished, infertile, poor, stark, unfertile, unproductive, waste, fruitless, impotent, sterile, unfruitful, abortive, bootless, empty, futile, ineffective, ineffectual, inefficacious, otiose, profitless, unavailing, unprofitable, unsuccessful, useless, vain, bankrupt, bare, bereft, destitute, devoid, void, in vain, no dice, not worth the candle, of no avail, desert

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Barren

Words with the opposite meaning of Barren:

fertile, fruitful, lush, luxuriant, productive, rich, fat, deadly, effective, effectual, efficacious, efficient, potent, profitable, successful, virtuous, filled, flush, fraught, full, replete, rife

Related Words for Barren

bleak, inhospitable, lifeless, uncultivable, untillable, bankrupted, consumed, debilitated, depleted, diminished, drained, dried-up, enfeebled, exhausted, expended, lessened, reduced, spent, used up, arid, droughty, dry, rainless, sere, thirsty, waterless, baked, dehydrated, parched, sunbaked

Near Antonyms of Barren

arable, tillable, green, sylvan, verdant, fecund, prolific, enriched, fertilized, impregnated, pregnant, bearing, producing, yielding, blooming, bursting, flourishing, swarming, teeming, meaningful, worthwhile, adequate, sufficient, applicable, feasible, functional, practicable, practical, realizable, usable

Word Forms of Barren

Derived words: barrenly (adverb), barrenness (noun)

Origin & Etymology of Barren

Middle English bareine, from Anglo-French barain, perhaps of Celtic origin; akin to Middle Welsh brynar fallow land

First known use: 13th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Barren

Words & Phrases Containing Barren

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Frequently Asked Questions about Barren

What does "Barren" mean?

"Barren" means not reproducing. As an an adjective and a noun, it is defined as: not reproducing. It has 5 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Barren"?

Other words for "Barren" include bony, dead, desolate, hardscrabble, impoverished, infertile, poor and stark. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Barren" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Barren"?

There are 120 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Barren". Common alternatives include bony, dead, desolate, hardscrabble, impoverished, infertile, poor, stark, unfertile and unproductive.

What is the opposite of "Barren"?

Antonyms of "Barren" include fertile, fruitful, lush, luxuriant, productive, rich, fat and deadly. Near antonyms include arable, tillable, green and sylvan.

How do you use "Barren" in a sentence?

Examples of "Barren" in a sentence: "if tobacco fields aren't allowed to lie idle once every few years, they will become barren"; "the pear tree appears to be barren"; "that line of investigation proved barren, so the police tried other avenues".

Is "Barren" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Barren" can be used as an adjective and a noun, depending on the context.

Is "Barren" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As a C2-level word, "Barren" is typical of Cambridge C2 Proficiency (CPE), IELTS band 8.5–9.0, TOEFL iBT 114–120, PTE Academic 85–90. Advanced words like this are also useful for the GRE, SAT, GMAT, and LSAT.

How do you pronounce "Barren"?

"Barren" is pronounced /ˈber-ən/ and divided into syllables as bar·ren.