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Barrenness: meaning, definitions and examples

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barrenness

 

[ ˈbærənnəs ]

Noun
Context #1 | Noun

lack of fertility

Barrenness refers to the inability of land to produce crops or of a person or animal to conceive offspring. It is a state of being unproductive, infertile, or desolate.

Synonyms

infertility, sterility, unproductiveness

Examples of usage

  • The barrenness of the desert made it impossible to grow any crops.
  • Years of drought led to the barrenness of the once lush farmland.
Context #2 | Noun

lack of creativity

Barrenness can also refer to a lack of creativity or inspiration. It describes a state of being unproductive or devoid of ideas.

Synonyms

creativity drought, inspiration void

Examples of usage

  • The writer struggled with a period of barrenness, unable to come up with new story ideas.
  • The artist overcame her creative barrenness by taking a break and exploring new techniques.

Translations

Translations of the word "barrenness" in other languages:

🇵🇹 esterilidade

🇮🇳 बांझपन

🇩🇪 Unfruchtbarkeit

🇮🇩 kemandulan

🇺🇦 безпліддя

🇵🇱 bezpłodność

🇯🇵 不妊

🇫🇷 stérilité

🇪🇸 esterilidad

🇹🇷 kısırlık

🇰🇷 불임

🇸🇦 عقم

🇨🇿 neplodnost

🇸🇰 neplodnosť

🇨🇳 不育

🇸🇮 neplodnost

🇮🇸 ófrjósemi

🇰🇿 бедеулік

🇬🇪 უსაყოფიერება

🇦🇿 bəhrəsizlik

🇲🇽 esterilidad

Word origin

The word 'barrenness' originated from the Middle English word 'barren', which meant 'incapable of producing offspring'. Its roots can be traced back to the Old French word 'barain' and the Latin word 'barra', both of which referred to 'sterile land'. Over time, 'barrenness' evolved to encompass not just the inability to bear offspring, but also the lack of productivity or creativity.

See also: barrenly.

Word Frequency Rank

Positioned at #24,457, this word is part of extensive vocabulary. It's relatively rare in general usage but may be important in specific fields or formal writing.