arid

adjective

ˈa-rəd How to pronounce arid (audio)
Definition of aridnext
1
as in boring
causing weariness, restlessness, or lack of interest an arid speech about duty and responsibility

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in dry
marked by little or no precipitation or humidity arid wastelands unfit for human habitation

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of arid This year, Europe has been sweltering under an exceptionally hot and arid summer, with tinderbox conditions setting off unprecedented fires that have forced hundreds of thousands of people to evacuate homes and vacation spots. — ABC News, 5 Aug. 2026 Furthermore, developers routinely ignore local water shortages to build water-intensive cooling systems in arid regions. — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 3 Aug. 2026 In arid regions that support outdoor succulents, these plants create a nice ground cover. — Michelle Mastro, Martha Stewart, 30 July 2026 Shifting and gusting winds, as well as arid conditions, complicated massive efforts to limit the spread of the monster blaze burning out of control since midweek in France’s Gironde region, where Bordeaux is located. — Mark Carlson, Fortune, 27 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for arid
Recent Examples of Synonyms for arid
  1. boring
  2. dry
  3. tiring
  4. thirsty
  5. dusty
  6. desert
  7. slow
  8. waterless
Adjective
  • When talking about the Gerhardt brothers, Hudson, a quarterback, and Bailen, a receiver, first-year Village Christian coach Rand Holdren says there’s never a boring moment when the two are together.
    — Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Everton have finished 13th, in the boring but comfortable reassurance of mid-table, in each of the past two seasons.
    — Patrick Boyland, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of boring
Adjective
  • The marsh was built in the 1990s to naturally clean dry-weather urban runoff from San Diego Creek and address the algae blooms that once existed in Upper Newport Bay, according to the water district’s website.
    — Ruben Vives, Los Angeles Times, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Craig, now a devoted granddad with a dry sense of humor, began working alongside his father at thirteen, quitting school even though teachers warned him that house moving was a dying trade.
    — Nicola Twilley, New Yorker, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of dry
Adjective
  • Food & Drink You’ll find just two dining venues on the property, The Dining Room (which serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner) and the poolside Palapa Bar, but there’s no chance of tiring of the fare.
    — Betsy Cribb Watson, Southern Living, 6 Aug. 2026
  • Permanent Marker Removal Trying to scrub permanent marker away is tiring, time-consuming, and often futile without some type of product to loosen the marker.
    — Timothy Dale, The Spruce, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of tiring
Adjective
  • If anyone in your party is thirsty, the Joe Klass Water Stop is nearby.
    — Jaclyn Cosgrove, Los Angeles Times, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Add the cost of tires, consumables, a thirsty engine, and the fact that cars are all so ludicrously expensive to begin with these days, and soon the whole thing starts to look unsustainable.
    — Jonathan M. Gitlin, ArsTechnica, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of thirsty
Adjective
  • Choose from more than 20 colors, including dusty pink, fall-ready forest green, and classic cream.
    — Better Homes & Gardens, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 Aug. 2026
  • The arc could be, for instance, a chance alignment of unrelated stars, the product of gravitational lensing from a background galaxy, or a dusty region that happens to mimic a stream's shape.
    — Sharmila Kuthunur, Space.com, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of dusty
Adjective
  • The damage was clearest in wealthier, non-desert regions due to rapid land conversion.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 20 Aug. 2026
  • The terrain is mountainous, a mix of desert and semi-desert plains.
    — Ope Adetayo, Los Angeles Times, 3 May 2026
Definition of desert
Adjective
  • Reseeding helps block weed growth, repel lawn diseases, slow soil erosion, and strengthen growth in bare patches.
    — Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Critical thinking is based on the need for a deliberate, slow, self-regulatory pause.
    — Ted Ladd, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of slow
Adjective
  • While urban areas like Los Angeles are under mandatory drought restrictions to reduce strain on state reservoirs, many rural residents reliant on groundwater wells are waterless.
    — Tribune Content Agency, oregonlive, 27 Nov. 2022
  • Other eco-friendly measures include a solid waste incinerator to turn waste into non-toxic ash and a waterless urinal to reduce unnecessary usage.
    — Camille Fine, USA TODAY, 22 Aug. 2022
Definition of waterless

Browse Nearby Words

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Cite this Entry

“Arid.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/arid. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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