wasteland

/ˌweɪstˈlænd/

/ˈweɪstlænd/

Other forms: wastelands

A wasteland is someplace that's empty and desolate, with no sign of life or growth. An area may be a wasteland because of toxic materials in the soil, or due to climate conditions like strong winds.

You can't grow anything in a wasteland, despite all that open space — typically, the soil doesn't have enough nutrients for plants to survive. Sometimes a barren area with limited biodiversity is called a wasteland, though a few species do grow there. A neglected urban area, like an empty lot or a playground that's unused and in disrepair, might also be called a wasteland. T.S. Eliot's most famous poem, "The Waste Land," alludes to a wasteland from Arthurian legend.

Definitions of wasteland

1. noun

   an uninhabited wilderness that is worthless for cultivation
   synonyms: barren, waste

   types:

   heath, heathland

   a tract of level wasteland; uncultivated land with sandy soil and scrubby vegetation

   type of:

   wild, wilderness

   a wild and uninhabited area left in its natural condition