Word Study
arid
CIDE DICTIONARY
arid, a. [L. aridus, fr. arere to be dry: cf. F. aride.].
Exhausted of moisture; parched with heat; dry; barren. Thomson. [1913 Webster]
OXFORD DICTIONARY
arid, adj.
1 a (of ground, climate, etc.) dry, parched. b too dry to support vegetation; barren.
2 uninteresting (arid verse).
1 a (of ground, climate, etc.) dry, parched. b too dry to support vegetation; barren.
2 uninteresting (arid verse).
Derivative
aridity n. aridly adv. aridness n.
Etymology
F aride or L aridus f. arere be dry
THESAURUS
arid
Saharan, academic, acarpous, anhydrous, athirst, barren, blah, blank, bloodless, bone-dry, bookish, boring, bromidic, celibate, characterless, childless, cold, colorless, dead, desert, desolate, dismal, drab, draggy, drained, drearisome, dreary, dried-up, droughty, dry, dry as dust, dryasdust, dull, dusty, earthbound, effete, elephantine, empty, etiolated, exhausted, fade, fallow, flat, fruitless, gaunt, gelded, heavy, high and dry, ho-hum, hollow, humdrum, impotent, inane, ineffectual, inexcitable, infecund, infertile, insipid, issueless, jejune, juiceless, lackluster, leached, leaden, lifeless, like parchment, literal, low-spirited, menopausal, moistureless, monotonous, mundane, nonfertile, nonproducing, nonproductive, nonprolific, pale, pallid, pedantic, pedestrian, plodding, pointless, poky, ponderous, prosaic, prosing, prosy, sandy, sapless, sere, sine prole, slow, solemn, spiritless, staid, sterile, stiff, stodgy, stolid, stuffy, sucked dry, superficial, tasteless, tedious, teemless, thirsting, thirsty, unanimated, uncultivated, undamped, unfanciful, unfertile, unfruitful, unideal, unimaginative, uninspired, uninteresting, uninventive, unlively, unoriginal, unplowed, unpoetic, unproductive, unprolific, unromantic, unromanticized, unsown, untilled, unwatered, vapid, virgin, waste, wasted, waterless, weariful, wearisome, without issue, woodenROGET THESAURUS
arid
Unproductiveness
N unproductiveness, infertility, sterility, infecundity, masturbation, impotence, unprofitableness, waste, desert, Sahara, wild, wilderness, howling wilderness, unproductive, acarpous, inoperative, barren, addled, infertile, unfertile, unprolific, arid, sterile, unfruitful, infecund, sine prole, fallow, teemless, issueless, fruitless, unprofitable, null and void, of no effect.Weariness
N weariness, defatigation, lassitude, drowsiness, disgust, nausea, loathing, sickness, satiety, taedium vitae, boredom, ennui, wearisomeness, tediousness, dull work, tedium, monotony, twice-told tale, bore, buttonholer, proser, wet blanket, pill, stiff, heavy hours, the enemy (time), wearying, wearing, wearisome, tiresome, irksome, uninteresting, stupid, bald, devoid of interest, dry, monotonous, dull, arid, tedious, humdrum, mortal, flat, prosy, prosing, slow, soporific, somniferous, disgusting, unenjoyed, weary, tired, drowsy, uninterested, flagging, used up, worn out, blase, life-weary, weary of life, sick of, wearily, usque ad nauseam, time hanging heavily on one's hands, toujours perdrix, crambe repetita.Dryness
N dryness, siccity, aridity, drought, ebb tide, low water, exsiccation, desiccation, arefaction, dephlegmation, drainage, drier, desiccative, dessicator, dessicator, hair drier, clothes drier, gas drier, electric drier, vacuum oven, drying oven, kiln, lyophilizer, clothesline, dry, anhydrous, arid, adust, arescent, dried, undamped, juiceless, sapless, sear, husky, rainless, without rain, fine, dry as a bone, dry as dust, dry as a stick, dry as a mummy, dry as a biscuit, water proof, water tight, dehydrated, dessicated.For further exploring for "arid" in Webster Dictionary Online