barren

adjective
UK: /ˈbærən/
US: /ˈbærən/

  1. Not able to produce plants or fruit.

    1. The land was barren and nothing would grow there. [ ] [ ]
    2. After years of drought, the once-fertile fields became barren, unable to sustain crops. [ ] [ ]

  2. Not able to produce children or young animals.

    1. She was barren and could not have children. [ ] [ ]
    2. Despite their hopes, the couple discovered that she was barren, preventing them from conceiving. [ ] [ ]

  3. Empty and offering nothing of interest or value.

    1. The room was barren, with only a chair. [ ] [ ]
    2. His life felt barren, lacking meaningful connections and fulfilling experiences. [ ] [ ]

Synonyms

empty unproductive desolate fruitless infertile
barren verb

  1. To make something unable to produce plants, fruit, or offspring.

    1. The chemicals barren the soil. [ ] [ ]
    2. Overgrazing and deforestation can barren fertile lands, leading to desertification. [ ] [ ]

Frequently Asked Questions

The word "barren" in English means: Not able to produce plants or fruit., Not able to produce children or young animals., Empty and offering nothing of interest or value..

The phonetic transcription of "barren" is /ˈbærən/ in British English and /ˈbærən/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "barren": empty, unproductive, desolate, fruitless, infertile.

Example usage of "barren": "The land was barren and nothing would grow there.". More examples on the page.