Arid land is so dry that very few plants can grow on it.
...new strains of crops that can withstand arid conditions.
...the arid zones of the country.
Synonyms: dry, desert, dried up, barren More Synonyms of arid
2. adjective [usually ADJECTIVE noun]
If you describe something such as a period of your life or an academic subject as arid, you mean that it has so little interest, excitement, or purpose that it makes you feel bored or unhappy.
She had given him the only joy his arid life had ever known.
...the politically arid years of military dictatorship in the 1960s and '70s.
Synonyms: boring, dull, tedious, dreary More Synonyms of arid
arid in British English
(ˈærɪd)
adjective
1.
having little or no rain; dry; parched with heat
2.
devoid of interest
Derived forms
aridity (əˈrɪdɪtɪ) or aridness (ˈaridness)
noun
aridly (ˈaridly)
adverb
Word origin
C17: from Latin āridus, from ārēre to be dry
arid in American English
(ˈærɪd; ˈɛrɪd)
adjective
1.
lacking enough water for things to grow; dry and barren
2.
not interesting; lifeless; dull
SIMILAR WORDS: dry
Derived forms
aridity (aˈridity) (əˈrɪdəti)
noun or ˈaridness
aridly (ˈaridly)
adverb
Word origin
L aridus < arere, to be dry: see ash1
Examples of 'arid' in a sentence
arid
Don't be put off if you have an arid area : think of all the possibilities rather than the problems.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Our land is dry and arid and very little grows.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
Huge areas of arid land could be made fruitful either for agriculture or for biochemical industry.
Dyson, Freeman Infinite in All Directions (1989)
They bloomed green amid the arid white landscape.
Christy Campbell PHYLLOXERA: How Wine was Saved for the World (2004)
The summer stretched ahead, arid as a desert.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
It was an arid, dry place.
Christianity Today (2000)
Hot, dry places are arid and dusty and unremitting.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
The insurgents were pushed into increasingly marginal, arid areas.
The Sun (2012)
A recent study points to arid regions growing drier and wetter regions having more intense rains.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
Forced to walk for miles each day in the searing heat to find grass in this arid land, it is a harsh existence.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
The area is popular with visitors to South America because of its spectacular arid landscapes.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
Many of the victims, who came from arid inland areas, could not swim.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
The source of this drumming turns out to be a rudimentary wind turbine, erected on the arid plains of Kyrgyzstan.
The Times Literary Supplement (2011)
Jordan is an arid country, but as we drive north it turns into beautiful rolling green farmland, olive groves and grazing.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
They live in arid areas where they can survive for long periods without drinking, obtaining moisture from vegetation, including salty plants.
Burton, John A. Animals of the World (1993)
Northern Kenya is one of the most arid regions in the world where no crops grow, so for centuries tribes have herded cattle.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
In other languages
arid
British English: arid ADJECTIVE
Arid land is so dry that very few plants can grow on it.
...new strains of crops that can withstand arid conditions.
American English: arid
Brazilian Portuguese: árido
Chinese: 干旱的
European Spanish: árido
French: aride
German: trocken
Italian: arido
Japanese: 乾燥した
Korean: 척박한
European Portuguese: árido
Latin American Spanish: árido
1 (adjective)
Definition
having little or no rain
the arid zones of the country
Synonyms
dry
a hard, dry desert landscape
desert
the desert wastes of Mexico
dried up
barren
He also wants to use water to irrigate barren desert land.
sterile
a sterile and barren wasteland
torrid
the torrid heat of summer in Spain
parched
Showers poured down upon the parched earth.
waterless
moistureless
Opposites
rich
,
fertile
,
lush
,
fruitful
,
verdant
2 (adjective)
Definition
uninteresting
the only joy his arid life had ever known
Synonyms
boring
boring television programmes
dull
They can both be rather dull.
tedious
the tedious business of line-by-line programming
dreary
They live such dreary lives.
dry
The work was very dry and dull.
tiresome
My neighbour is petty and tiresome.
lifeless
His novels are shallow and lifeless.
colourless
He is a drab, colourless little man.
uninteresting
Why did he choose these pale, nerveless, uninteresting people?
flat
The past few days have been flat and empty.
uninspired
The script was singularly uninspired.
vapid
The conversation was vapid and uninteresting.
spiritless
jejune (old-fashioned)
We knew we were in for a pretty long, jejune evening.
as dry as dust
Opposites
interesting
,
spirited
,
exciting
,
stimulating
,
sexy (informal)
,
lively
,
vivacious
Additional synonyms
in the sense of barren
Definition
unable to support the growth of crops, fruit, etc.
He also wants to use water to irrigate barren desert land.