SKIP TO CONTENT

badlands

/ˌbædˈlændz/
IPA guide

Badlands are a type of dry land where very few plants grow. Badlands can be found in South Dakota and Montana, among other places.

The terrain known as badlands are often starkly beautiful, barren of vegetation but marked by layers of clay soil and patterned by the erosion of the wind. There are badlands in several different countries, including Canada, Mexico, and New Zealand, but some of the best known are in Badlands National Park in South Dakota. The word badlands is a direct translation of the French term mauvaises terres.

Definitions of badlands
  1. noun
    deeply eroded barren land
    see moresee less
    examples:
    Bad Lands
    an eroded and barren region in southwestern South Dakota and northwestern Nebraska
    type of:
    ground, land, soil
    material in the top layer of the surface of the earth in which plants can grow (especially with reference to its quality or use)
Cite this entry
Style:
MLA
  • MLA
  • APA
  • Chicago

Copy citation
DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘badlands'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors. Send us feedback
Word Family