BARREN Synonyms: 194 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the adjective 'barren' differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of barren are bald , bare , naked , and nude . While all these words mean "deprived of naturally or conventionally appropriate covering," barren often suggests aridity or impoverishment or sterility. // barren plains

Q: When can 'bald' be used instead of 'barren'?

The synonyms bald and barren are sometimes interchangeable, but bald implies actual or seeming absence of natural covering and may suggest a conspicuous bareness. // a bald mountain peak

Q: When might 'bare' be a better fit than 'barren'?

The words bare and barren are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, bare implies the removal of what is additional, superfluous, ornamental, or dispensable. // an apartment with bare walls

Q: When could 'naked' be used to replace 'barren'?

While in some cases nearly identical to barren , naked suggests absence of protective or ornamental covering but may imply a state of nature, of destitution, or of defenselessness. // poor half- naked children

Q: Where would 'nude' be a reasonable alternative to 'barren'?

The words nude and barren can be used in similar contexts, but nude applies especially to the unclothed human figure. // a nude model posing for art students

barren 1 of 2

adjective

ˈber-ən

Definition of barren next

as in desolate

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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in sterile

not able to produce fruit or offspring the pear tree appears to be barren

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in unsuccessful

producing no results that line of investigation proved barren, so the police tried other avenues

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in devoid

utterly lacking in something needed, wanted, or expected their proposal for revitalizing the downtown business district is utterly barren of useful ideas

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

barren

2 of 2

noun

as in desert

land that is uninhabited or not fit for crops lived out in the barrens where it was impossible to grow anything

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How does the adjective barren differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of barren are bald, bare, naked, and nude. While all these words mean "deprived of naturally or conventionally appropriate covering," barren often suggests aridity or impoverishment or sterility.

barren plains

When can bald be used instead of barren?

The synonyms bald and barren are sometimes interchangeable, but bald implies actual or seeming absence of natural covering and may suggest a conspicuous bareness.

a bald mountain peak

When might bare be a better fit than barren?

The words bare and barren are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, bare implies the removal of what is additional, superfluous, ornamental, or dispensable.

an apartment with bare walls

When could naked be used to replace barren?

While in some cases nearly identical to barren, naked suggests absence of protective or ornamental covering but may imply a state of nature, of destitution, or of defenselessness.

poor half-naked children

Where would nude be a reasonable alternative to barren?

The words nude and barren can be used in similar contexts, but nude applies especially to the unclothed human figure.

a nude model posing for art students

Examples of barren in a Sentence

These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

The film is set against a stark and barren landscape, with key scenes filmed near Superior, in the shadow of Apache Leap. —

Tiffany Acosta, The Arizona Republic, 5 Oct. 2024 Dreamers have created everything from great gaming palaces in barren deserts to low-fare airlines. —

Michael Goldstein, Forbes, 5 Sep. 2024 The art gorgeously captures the details of what’s left in a barren America, and Larcenet takes time and great care to show the trudging journey of a taciturn man and his young son, who is still inquisitive like kids are, even in the face of hopelessness. —

Borys Kit, The Hollywood Reporter, 5 Sep. 2024 The first colonists would encounter a barren landscape without water or breathable atmosphere, bathed in deadly solar and galactic radiation from which Earthbound humans are protected by our planet’s atmosphere and magnetic field. —

Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for barren

Recent Examples of Synonyms for barren

Adjective

The rolling hills of Laikipia, located on the equator, give way to the vast, desolate sand dunes of the Suguta Valley below, before lakes flooded with flamingos come into view.

Shaun Stanley, Travel + Leisure, 5 Nov. 2024
Pedro Páramo, which is considered one of the two frontrunners to represent Mexico at the Academy Awards, transports its audience to Comala, where a desolate Mexican town hauntingly blurs the lines between life and death.

Travis Bean, Forbes, 31 Oct. 2024