Barrenness [noun]

When the eagle-eyed camera on NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter first spotted the bands in the late 2000s, shocked researchers wondered if they might be watching water streaming across the Red Planet’s barren surface.

They pointed to the barren hillsides above town, saying runoff from clear-cuts had polluted the creek where they get their water.

When Vanderbilt’s harsh helping of coronavirus quarantines and contact-tracing woes had left the team barren of kickers, Coach Derek Mason and staff turned to a goalkeeper from the soccer team, which had won the SEC tournament championship Sunday.

Solving archery puzzles spread across a wide barren environment just wasn’t for me.

As we rode through the barren, rugged terrain, I tried not to think about the fact that the beauty of the open country also meant a scarcity of resources.

Not less so is the barrenness of this country, which was formerly and usually the last resource.

These two things shall come upon thee suddenly in one day, barrenness and widowhood.

The children of thy barrenness shall still say in thy ears: The place is too strait for me, make me room to dwell in.

Her barrenness gave reason to fear a divorce in case her husband should ascend the throne.

Only here and there, separated by vast intervals of barrenness, could be seen minute streaks of verdure.