badlands

noun

Definition of badlandsnext
plural of badland
as in deserts

Related Words

Relevance

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for badlands
  1. deserts
  2. wastelands
  3. barrens
Noun
  • Arizona also boasts diverse landscapes and a variety of ecosystems, from alpine forests to deserts, all of which different kinds of bats have fashioned a home.
    — Shi En Kim, AZCentral.com, 28 Aug. 2026
  • They can also be found in a variety of habitats, including forests, grasslands, scrub brush, swamps and deserts.
    — Jordan Greene, PEOPLE, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of deserts
Noun
  • Accordingly, the wastelands left behind capitalism grow only more vast.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 23 July 2026
  • Pedro Pascal has carried galaxies and post-apocalyptic wastelands on his back.
    — Sophie Miller, Rolling Stone, 14 July 2026
Definition of wastelands
Noun
  • In its place urchin barrens now carpet the seafloor; a spiny, silent landscape stripped of life.
    — Tatjana Baleta, Time, 28 May 2026
  • The forests are marked by sparse conifer stands, woodlands, herbaceous vegetation, and unvegetated barrens that dominate the transition to Arctic tundra.
    — Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 10 Feb. 2026
Definition of barrens
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.

Browse Nearby Words

badland
badlands
badly
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Badlands.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/badlands. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of dissonant

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
skateboard-dog-hat
Wordmaxxing Slang Quiz Give your vocabulary a glow up by getting sendy w...
See All