Barren vs Vain - What's the difference?
barren | vain | Related terms |
(label) Unable to bear children; sterile.
Of poor fertility, infertile; not producing vegetation.
* (1800–1859)
* '>citation
Bleak.
*{{quote-book, year=1922, author=(Michael Arlen), title=
, 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)
* (Jonathan Swift) (1667–1745)
* {{quote-news, year=2011, date=September 2, author=Phil McNulty, work=BBC
, title= Mentally dull; stupid.
* (William Shakespeare), (Hamlet), III.ii. ca. 1602
An area of low fertility and habitation, a desolate place.
Overly proud of oneself, especially concerning appearance; having a high opinion of one's own accomplishments with slight reason.
* (rfdate) Leo Rosten
Having no real substance, value, or importance; empty; void; worthless; unsatisfying.
* (William Shakespeare) (1564-1616)
* Bible, (w) v. 6
* (John Milton) (1608-1674)
Effecting no purpose; pointless, futile.
* (John Dryden) (1631-1700)
* (rfdate) William of Occam
*{{quote-book, year=1922, author=(Ben Travers)
, chapter=6, title= Showy; ostentatious.
* (Alexander Pope) (1688-1744)
Barren is a related term of vain.
As nouns the difference between barren and vain
is that barren is bar while vain is .barren
English
Adjective
(en-adj)- 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 ?
- barren mountain tracts
“Piracy”: A Romantic Chronicle of These Days, chapter=Ep./4/2
- brilliant but barren reveries
- Some schemes will appear barren of hints and matter.
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.}}
- Set on some quantity of barren spectators to laugh too.
Synonyms
* sterileAntonyms
* fertile * fruitfulNoun
(en noun)- The pine barrens are a site lonely enough to suit any hermit.
vain
English
Adjective
(en-adj)- Every writer is a narcissist. This does not mean that he is vain ; it only means that he is hopelessly self-absorbed.
- thy vain excuse
- Let no man deceive you with vain words.
- Vain wisdom all, and false philosophy.
- Vain is the force of man / To crush the pillars which the pile sustain.
- It is vain to do with more what can be done with fewer.
A Cuckoo in the Nest, passage=But Sophia's mother was not the woman to brook defiance. After a few moments' vain remonstrance her husband complied. His manner and appearance were suggestive of a satiated sea-lion.}}
- Load some vain church with old theatric state.