Barren of

not producing or incapable of producing offspring; sterile:
a barren woman.
unproductive; unfruitful:
barren land.
without capacity to interest or attract:
a barren period in american architecture.
mentally unproductive; dull; stupid.
not producing results; fruitless:
a barren effort.
dest-tute; bereft; lacking (usually followed by of):
barren of tender feelings.
usually, barrens. level or slightly rolling land, usually with a sandy soil and few trees, and relatively infertile.
adjective
incapable of producing offspring, seed, or fruit; sterile: a barren tree
unable to support the growth of crops, etc; unproductive; bare: barren land
lacking in stimulation or ideas; dull: a rather barren play
not producing worthwhile results; unprofitable: a barren period in a writer’s life
(foll by of) totally lacking (in); devoid (of): his speech was barren of wit
(of rock strata) having no fossils
adj.

c.1200, from old french baraigne, baraing “sterile, barren” (12c.), perhaps originally brahain, of obscure derivation, perhaps from a germanic language. in england, originally used of women, of land in france. of land in english from late 14c. as a noun, mid-13c., “a barren woman;” later of land.

barrens. elevated lands, or plains upon which grow small trees, but never timber. [bartlett, “dictionary of americanisms,” 1848]

barren bar·ren (bār’ən)
adj.

not producing offspring.

incapable of producing offspring.

for a woman to be barren was accounted a severe punishment among the jews (gen. 16:2; 30:1-23; 1 sam. 1:6, 27; isa. 47:9; 49:21; luke 1:25). instances of barrenness are noticed (gen. 11:30; 25:21; 29:31; judg. 13:2, 3; luke 1:7, 36).