1
: not reproducing: such as
a
: incapable of producing offspring
—used especially of females or matings
barren women
b
: not yet or not recently pregnant
c
of plants
: habitually failing to fruit
barren apple trees
2
4
: lacking interest or charm
a barren routine
5
: lacking inspiration or ideas
a barren mind
barrenly
adverb
1
barrens plural, geography
: an extent of usually level land having an inferior growth of trees or little vegetation
2
: a tract of barren land
Synonyms
Examples of barren in a Sentence
Adjective
Few creatures can thrive on these barren mountaintops.
The book was good, but I found the barren lives of the characters depressing.
Noun
lived out in the barrens where it was impossible to grow anything
Recent Examples on the Web
Laura Paddison, CNN, 14 Oct. 2024
The result is a barren playa, wide swaths of sand and earth.
—Shaun McKinnon, The Arizona Republic, 28 Oct. 2024
In his latest novel, Annihilation, his protagonists wander through that barren world, disoriented, looking vainly for an exit.
—Judith Shulevitz, The Atlantic, 24 Oct. 2024
As any Martian rover will tell you, the surface of the Red Planet is a cold, barren wasteland.
—Michael Irving, New Atlas, 17 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for barren 
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Adjective
Striking images from the Sahara Desert show large lakes etched into rolling sand dunes after one of the most arid, barren places in the world was hit with its first floods in decades.
—Laura Paddison, CNN, 14 Oct. 2024
The result is a barren playa, wide swaths of sand and earth.
—Shaun McKinnon, The Arizona Republic, 28 Oct. 2024
In his latest novel, Annihilation, his protagonists wander through that barren world, disoriented, looking vainly for an exit.
—Judith Shulevitz, The Atlantic, 24 Oct. 2024
As any Martian rover will tell you, the surface of the Red Planet is a cold, barren wasteland.
—Michael Irving, New Atlas, 17 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for barren
Dictionary Entries Near barren
Cite this Entry
“Barren.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/barren. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
barren
1 of 2 adjective
bar·ren
ˈbar-ən 
1
a
: not able to produce offspring
—used especially of females
b
: usually failing to fruit
barren apple trees
2
a
: producing inferior or little to no vegetation
barren soils
b
: not producing results or gain
a barren plan
barrenly
adverb
barren
2 of 2 noun
: a tract of barren land
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