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barren

[/ˈbærən/]
adjective
estéril
1. Unable to produce offspring; infertile
The barren woman longed for children.
A mulher estéril desejava ter filhos.
2. Incapable of producing vegetation; unfruitful or unproductive
The barren desert stretched for miles.
O deserto árido se estendia por quilômetros.
3. Lacking interest, liveliness, or intelligibility; dull
The lecture was barren of interesting ideas.
A palestra era desprovida de ideias interessantes.
4. Not producing results or achievements
Their efforts proved barren.
Os esforços deles se mostraram infrutíferos.
Synonyms
infertileunfruitfulsteriledesolatearidbleakunproductive
Antonyms
fertilefruitfulproductivelushverdant

Regional Variations

General Brazilian
estéril; improdutivo
Most common usage across Brazil
Rio de Janeiro
árido; seco
Often emphasizes barrenness of landscape
São Paulo
improdutivo; infrutífero
Frequently used in business and economic contexts
Portugal
árido; infecundo
Slightly more formal in Portuguese European usage

Related Idioms & Phrases

barren of ideas
barren landscape
barren discussion
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