Adjective

(en-adj)

(label) Unable to bear children; sterile.

I silently wept as my daughter's husband rejected her. What would she do now that she was no longer a maiden but also barren ?

Of poor fertility, infertile; not producing vegetation.

* (1800–1859)

barren mountain tracts

* '>citation

Bleak.

*{{quote-book, year=1922, author=(Michael Arlen), title= “Piracy”: A Romantic Chronicle of These Days, chapter=Ep./4/2

, passage=As they turned into Hertford Street they startled a robin from the poet's head on a barren fountain, and he fled away with a cameo note.}}

Unproductive; fruitless; unprofitable; empty.

* (1796-1859)

brilliant but barren reveries

* (Jonathan Swift) (1667–1745)

Some schemes will appear barren of hints and matter.

* {{quote-news, year=2011, date=September 2, author=Phil McNulty, work=BBC

, title= Bulgaria 0-3 England , passage=Rooney had been suffered a barren spell for England with only one goal in 15 games but he was in no mood to ignore the gifts on offer in front of an increasingly subdued Bulgarian support.}}

Mentally dull; stupid.

* (William Shakespeare), (Hamlet), III.ii. ca. 1602

Set on some quantity of barren spectators to laugh too.

Adjective

(en-adj)

Without use or possibility to be used.

This fork has prongs that are bent. It's useless now.

Unhelpful, not useful; pointless (of an action).

I think it's useless to keep this discussion going. It's like talking to a wall.

I tried my best to make him quit smoking, but my efforts were useless . He now smokes six packs a day.

(pejorative, of a person) good-for-nothing; not dependable.

Bill never mows the lawn, takes out the trash or anything. He's useless , but I love him anyways.

(colloquial, of a person) unable to do well at a particular task or thing. Useless is mildly insulting.

My brother is useless at most computer games, but he is an awesome PS2 player.

Why do you keep trying? You're obviously useless at it.