barren
Empty and bare, where nothing can grow.
barren in a sentence
- Not a single flower grew on the barren, rocky hillside.
- The astronauts stared out at the barren surface of the Moon, where nothing at all grew.
Try an 11+ style question
Verbal reasoning papers often ask about a word like this.
Which word is closest in meaning to barren?
- Afruitful
- Blush
- Cfertile
- Dbare
Show the answer
D: bare. The other three mean the opposite of barren.
Which word is most nearly opposite in meaning to barren?
- Abare
- Bempty
- Clifeless
- Dfertile
Show the answer
D: fertile. The other three mean nearly the same as barren.
Words that mean something similar
bare, empty, lifeless
Words that mean the opposite
fertile, fruitful, lush
Careful: barren is not desolate
Barren is about nothing growing. Desolate is about loneliness and emptiness. Read why children mix them up.
More words about places & settings
- barricade: A barrier built quickly to block the way.
- besieged: Surrounded by enemies or crowds, or overwhelmed by many requests.
- bustling: Full of busy, noisy activity.
- cavern: A very large cave.
- chaotic: Completely confused and without any order.
- chasm: A very deep crack or gap in the ground.
- crevice: A narrow crack in rock or a wall.
- dank: Unpleasantly damp, cold and musty, like the inside of a cave.
More words to explore
Sitting the 11+ in Kent, Medway or Buckinghamshire?
Plain-English guides to each test, from the councils’ own pages: Kent Test · Medway Test · Bucks Secondary Transfer Test