barren
/ˈbæɹən/
Group 27Difficulty 1/3
Definition
- (adjective)
- Too poor to produce much or any vegetation; empty of meaning or value; unable to bear offspring GRE
Example in Context
The once-fertile fields lay barren after decades of overfarming had stripped the soil of essential nutrients.
Synonyms
emptybaredesolate
Etymology
Originally meaning empty or devoid, now applied to land that can't produce.
- bar (Old French) — empty, devoid
Memory Aid
🐻Sounds like “bear in”
Imagine a BEAR trying to find food in a BARREN desert — it just can't BEAR to be there!
Visual Association
🏜️A vast, empty desert with a lone cactus struggling to survive under the scorching sun.
Semantic Clusters
Synonym Groups
Frequently Asked Questions
What does “barren” mean on the GRE?
barren (adjective) means “Too poor to produce much or any vegetation; empty of meaning or value; unable to bear offspring”. The once-fertile fields lay barren after decades of overfarming had stripped the soil of essential nutrients.
How to remember “barren” for the GRE?
Mnemonic: “barren” sounds like “bear in”. Imagine a BEAR trying to find food in a BARREN desert — it just can't BEAR to be there!
What are synonyms for “barren”?
Common synonyms: empty, bare, desolate.