arid
adjective
Synonyms
- boring
- colorless
- drab
- dreary
- drudging
- dry
- dull
- dusty
- flat
- heavy
- ho-hum
- humdrum
- jading
- jejune
- leaden
- mind-numbing
- monochromatic
- monotonous
- numbing
- old
- pedestrian
- ponderous
- slow
- stale
- stodgy
- stuffy
- stupid
- tame
- tedious
- tiresome
- tiring
- uninteresting
- wearisome
- weary
- wearying
Example Sentences
Lauren Tierney, Washington Post, 9 Aug. 2022 This region is part of the Rio São Francisco drainage basin and is located within a semi-arid tropical shrubland and thorn forest, known as the caatinga, that covers around 10% of Brazil (olive green patch on Figure 1). Grrlscientist, Forbes, 15 June 2022 Deaths have increased as migrants are pushed to more remote crossings that are more arid and inhospitable by the day. Felipe De La Hoz, The New Republic, 30 June 2022 Conditions Monday near the Calf Canyon/Hermits Peak Fire and within the extremely critical risk area remain incredibly arid, with relative humidity levels only in the single digits. Rob Shackelford And Judson Jones, CNN, 9 May 2022 In the Great Karoo, a vast semi-arid expanse in South Africa, lions and cheetahs once roamed. CNN, 27 Jan. 2022 At some point in its evolutionary history, the millipede began to move deeper and deeper below ground, perhaps because Australia above was becoming more arid and inhospitable. New York Times, 16 Dec. 2021 The warm, sunny weather is the product of an arid Western climate that is also prone to drought. Hayley Smith, Los Angeles Times, 12 Nov. 2021 Her campaign, #ActOnSahelMovement, spreads awareness of the critical role of Africa’s Sahel region, the semi-arid band of territory that stretches across the African continent from Sudan to Senegal. David Vetter, Forbes, 2 Nov. 2021 See More Word History
borrowed from French & Latin; French aride, going back to Middle French, borrowed from Latin āridus, ārdus "dry, waterless, withered, austere (of style)," derivative, with the adjective suffix -idus, of ārēre "to be dry, parched, withered," going back to Indo-European *h1eh2s-eh1-, stative derivative of a verbal base *h1eh2s- "make dry with heat," whence also Tocharian A asatär "(it) dries up," Tocharian B osotär; also from the same base a root noun *h1eh2s-, whence Hittite ḫāšš- "ashes, dust," from which as thematic derivatives Sanskrit ā́saḥ "ashes, dust," and (as a collective or noun of appurtenance?) *h1eh2s-eh2-, whence Latin āra "altar," Oscan aasaí (locative), Hittite ḫāššā- "hearth," Old High German essa, esse "forge" (from *asjō-), Old Swedish æsia, æssia "smith's fire," Old Icelandic esja "soapstone (used in hearths)" (both from *asjōn-)
Note: Regarding the apparent derivatives ardēre "to burn, emit light or flame" and ardor "burning, fierce heat," see ardent. — Lexikon der indogermanischen Verben gives the "essive" (= stative) form of the verbal base *h1eh2s as *h1h2s-h1i̯é- and attributes the length in Latin ārēre to the influence of noun derivatives such as āra. D. Adams, however, regards the original base in Tocharian A and B to have been *ās-, corresponding to the length in the Latin verb (see A Dictionary of Tocharian B, Revised and Greatly Enlarged, Rodopi, 2013, p. 63). A. Kloekhorst (Etymological Dictionary of the Hittite Inherited Lexicon, Brill, 2008, pp. 322-23) regards the short vowel in Germanic as the residue of an oblique case form *h2h̥1s- of the root noun. See also ash entry 2, azalea.
1652, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Phrases Containing arid
Kids Definition
arid
adjective
arid
adjective
Synonyms & Similar Words
- boring
- dusty
- tiring
- dry
- dull
- slow
- wearying
- weary
- old
- stupid
- heavy
- drab
- tame
- monotonous
- uninteresting
- irritating
- annoying
- dreary
- tedious
- wearisome
- pedestrian
- barren
- tiresome
- colorless
- leaden
- humdrum
- stale
- ponderous
- monochromatic
- sterile
- exhausting
- flat
- stodgy
- pallid
- jejune
- stuffy
- drudging
- numbing
- prosy
- jading
- prosaic
- ho-hum
- gray
- blah
- soggy
- spiritless
- draining
- dullish
- mind-numbing
- unrewarding
- unimaginative
- unexciting
- enervating
- blank
- uninspiring
- irksome
- inanimate
- uneventful
- unspectacular
- earthbound
- undramatic
- aseptic
- unsensational
- grey
- pedantic
- ordinary
- fatiguing
- bothersome
- common
- vapid
- debilitating
- enfeebling
- palling
- commonplace
- unnewsworthy
- wearing
- discouraging
- suspenseless
- dispiriting
- tepid
- demoralizing
- cumbersome
- unexceptional
- plodding
- pokey
- pleasureless
- poky
- longsome
- disheartening
- unsurprising
- lumbering
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- interesting
- involving
- engrossing
- intriguing
- engaging
- wondrous
- absorbing
- marvellous
- gripping
- astonishing
- riveting
- spectacular
- exciting
- wonderful
- stimulating
- exhilarating
- surprising
- amazing
- marvelous
- amusing
- inspiring
- breathtaking
- astounding
- enlivening
- sensational
- energizing
- entertaining
- attractive
- awesome
- fabulous
- thrilling
- invigorating
- charming
- alluring
- electrifying
- enchanting
- stirring
- beguiling
- fascinating
- enthralling
- moving
- poignant
- diverting
- touching
- galvanizing
- rousing
- animating
- entrancing
- bewitching
- attracting
- eye-opening
- captivating
- provocative
- hair-raising
- spellbinding
- rip-roaring
- suspenseful
- tantalizing
- mesmerizing
- arresting
Synonyms & Similar Words
- dry
- thirsty
- desert
- droughty
- waterless
- sear
- sere
- desertic
- parched
- hyperarid
- sunbaked
- desertlike
- rainless
- dehydrated
- bone-dry
- baked
- air-dry
- ultradry
- xerothermic
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- moist
- humid
- damp
- wet
- saturated
- dank
- sodden
- soggy
- waterlogged
- watered
- watery
- bathed
- dripping
- drenched
- soaked
- flooded
- soaking
- washed
- sopping
- awash
- soppy
- submerged
- drowned
- overflowed
- soused
- inundated
- hydrated
- doused
- deluged
- dowsed
- swamped