BARRENNESS Synonyms: 24 Similar and Opposite Words

barrenness

noun

Definition of barrenness

as in bleakness

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of barrenness But many assumptions that Stratos’ investors or Utah politicians might have had about Box Elder County – about either the acquiescence of its people or the barrenness of its landscape – have been proved wrong over the past few months. — Melanie Stetson Freeman, Christian Science Monitor, 1 Sep. 2026 Shunammite, once so determined to get her period, is staring down the possibility of barrenness and, in Gilead, that means spinsterhood. — Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 27 May 2026 Clearly, her absurd office dredged its barrenness from her. — Literary Hub, 29 Jan. 2026 Instead, Bevza felt a pressing need to remedy the barrenness of the Ukrainian fashion scene at the time. — Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 30 Dec. 2025 Self-awareness and community are marvelous antidotes to the barrenness of conformity. — The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 31 Aug. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for barrenness

Noun

The bleakness of those far northern isles, the punishing, incessant wind, the wild beauty of the land and rugged coastline are unforgettably conjured alongside her inner struggle to stay sober.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 19 Aug. 2026
The choice yields a brighter, richer, more varied and nuanced story in which coming-of-age tropes mingle with Gileadean bleakness to reveal new facets of a state premised on male supremacy.

— Judy Berman, Time, 8 July 2026

Definition of bleakness

Noun

The stone never does talk to Larry, and Dillard ends that story by succumbing to her faith in the nothingness.

— Isabel Fattal, The Atlantic, 16 Sep. 2026
For some of us, this is a very counterintuitive notion, as the notion of things existing within and moving through some form of empty nothingness just doesn’t make any sense.

— Big Think, Big Think, 7 May 2026

Definition of nothingness

Browse Nearby Words

barren

barrenness

barrens

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Barrenness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/barrenness. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of barrenness

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

inscrutable

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Popular in Wordplay

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 9

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

Popular

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes