arid
Lacking all moisture
Arid describes land or climate with little rainfall—too dry to support much vegetation.
The Sahara and Mojave are arid deserts.
Figuratively, arid means dull and lifeless: an arid lecture on tax policy, arid prose.
The connection is barrenness—nothing grows or flourishes.
To leave behind completely
- barrenUnable to produce
- desolateBleak and abandoned
- wastelandUninhabitable barren region
- badlandsArid, heavily eroded terrain
sand · dunes · rocky · scrubland · mesa · canyon · cracked · dusty
Lacking edge or interest
- boringFailing to engage interest
- lifelessDevoid of animation
- uninspiredLacking creative spark
- tediousBoring through length
bland · monotonous · unimaginative · dry · stale · sterile · vapid · flat
To leave behind completely
- dryFree from moisture
- hotHaving much warmth
- scorchingExtremely hot, burning
- harshUnpleasantly severe or rough
extreme · subtropical · continental · Mediterranean · savanna · dusty · rainless · sunbaked
Extremely dry or thirsty
- desiccatedThoroughly dehydrated
- dehydratedSeverely lacking moisture
- witheredDried and shrunken
- shriveledContracted from moisture loss
brittle · cracked · dusty · sere · wizened · baked · scorched · wilted
Prolonged water scarcity
- irrigationArtificial water supply for agriculture
- fallowUnplanted field recovering
- crop failureWhen fields yield nothing
- overgrazingExcessive pasture consumption
desertification · water scarcity · subsistence farming · dry farming · depleted · unproductive · infertile · hardscrabble
desert
To leave behind completely
badlands · sand · dunes · rocky · scrubland · mesa · canyon · cracked · dusty · windswept
dull
Lacking edge or interest
- boringFailing to engage interest
- lifelessDevoid of animation
- uninspiredLacking creative spark
tedious · bland · monotonous · unimaginative · dry · stale · sterile · vapid · flat · dreary
desert
To leave behind completely
harsh · extreme · subtropical · continental · Mediterranean · savanna · dusty · rainless · sunbaked · torrid
parched
Extremely dry or thirsty
- desiccatedThoroughly dehydrated
- dehydratedSeverely lacking moisture
- witheredDried and shrunken
shriveled · brittle · cracked · dusty · sere · wizened · baked · scorched · wilted · chapped
drought
Prolonged water scarcity
- irrigationArtificial water supply for agriculture
- fallowUnplanted field recovering
- crop failureWhen fields yield nothing
overgrazing · desertification · water scarcity · subsistence farming · dry farming · depleted · unproductive · infertile · hardscrabble · dryland
- AfricaEgypt, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania
- Northern MexicoChihuahua, Ciudad Juarez, Juarez, Sierra Madre, Sonora
- adjectivesbig, urgent, amazing, temporary, bold
- desertsand, sand dunes, sand dune, dune, dunes
- biology termscell, DNA, genetics, genetic, evolution
- climateclimate change, climate, weather, global warming, temperature
aridriveting
Completely holding one's attention
gripping · engaging · absorbing · captivating · fascinating
- arid zoneRegion with minimal precipitation
- arid landscapeTerrain lacking moisture
- arid regionArea lacking moisture
- arid plainsFlat dry expanses
- arid landsDry, barren territories
- arid climatePersistently dry weather pattern