barren (ˈbærən
)
Definitions
adjective
- incapable of producing offspring, seed, or fruit; sterile ⇒
a barren tree
- unable to support the growth of crops, etc; unproductive; bare ⇒
barren land
- lacking in stimulation or ideas; dull ⇒
a rather barren play
- not producing worthwhile results; unprofitable ⇒
a barren period in a writer's life
- (foll by of) totally lacking (in); devoid (of) ⇒
his speech was barren of wit
- (of rock strata) having no fossils
Alternative Forms
ˈbarrenly adverb ˈbarrenness nounWord Origin
C13: from Old French brahain, of uncertain originSynonyms
View thesaurus entry=
dull,
boring,
commonplace,
tedious,
dreary,
stale,
lacklustre,
monotonous,
uninspiring,
humdrum,
uninteresting,
vapid,
unrewarding,
as dry as dust,
Usage examples
The blackened rocks and earth were barren , and the mountainsides stank like the ashes of a vast funeral pyre.
, When the Apricots Bloom (1988)A mature response to ageing, by Phil Mullan A barren elite, by Jennie Bristow (1) Population Trends 110 (.
Spiked (2002)It depicts cockatoos flying across a barren landscape, without a grape or winery in sight.
Globe and Mail (2003)In a barren time for Conservatives, Hague in the past month has seemed strangely likeable in comparison to Tony Blair.
Glasgow Herald (2001)Tribes of settlers had moved on, unable to find sustenance from the barren rock.
, THE COLOUR OF HEAVEN (2003)