arid
/ˈæ.ɹɪd/ · a·rid
adjective
- Very dry; lacking moisture. The desert landscape was arid, with cracked earth and no visible vegetation.
- Describing a climate that receives less than 25 cm (10 inches) of rainfall annually. The Sahara is famously arid, receiving barely any precipitation each year.
- Devoid of value or interest; uninteresting. The millionaire found the charity event arid, offering nothing that sparked his enthusiasm.
Did you know? The word "arid" entered English in the 16th century, originally used by botanists to describe dry soils; it later became common in meteorology to denote climates with less than 25 cm of rainfall per year.