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Synonym Chooser

How is the word fruitful distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of fruitful are fecund, fertile, and prolific. While all these words mean "producing or capable of producing offspring or fruit," fruitful adds to fertile and fecund the implication of desirable or useful results.

fruitful research

When is fecund a more appropriate choice than fruitful?

The words fecund and fruitful can be used in similar contexts, but fecund emphasizes abundance or rapidity in bearing fruit or offspring.

a fecund herd

In what contexts can fertile take the place of fruitful?

In some situations, the words fertile and fruitful are roughly equivalent. However, fertile implies the power to reproduce in kind or to assist in reproduction and growth; applied figuratively, it suggests readiness of invention and development.

fertile soil
a fertile imagination

When would prolific be a good substitute for fruitful?

The meanings of prolific and fruitful largely overlap; however, prolific stresses rapidity of spreading or multiplying by or as if by natural reproduction.

a prolific writer

Examples Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of fruitful The pair continued their fruitful collaboration on the screenplay for 1979’s Manhattan, the black-and-white comedy that featured the controversial relationship between a middle-aged man and a high school girl, played by Mariel Hemingway. Althea Legaspi, Rolling Stone, 1 Dec. 2024 The incident and a subsequent lawsuit ultimately proved to be a fruitful publicity stunt for the movement and sports clothing brand XX-XY Athletics, founded by former gymnast Jennifer Sey. Jackson Thompson, Fox News, 27 Nov. 2024 The pair achieved great success together at Bayern and their union is proving fruitful — Barca’s prolific start to La Liga this season is testament to that. Adam Hurrey, The Athletic, 22 Nov. 2024 In a fluctuating economic environment, knowing which commercial real estate investments will be fruitful and which ones will be duds is more difficult than ever. Expert Panel®, Forbes, 27 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for fruitful 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fruitful
Adjective
  • Natural Beauty, by Ling Ling Huang Huang’s debut novel is set in the wellness industry, fertile ground for bodily unease.
    Tajja Isen, The Atlantic, 11 Dec. 2024
  • The tech-cluster has created fertile ground for other startups to grow in the Silicon Slopes ecosystem.
    Dardan Pula, CNBC, 10 Dec. 2024
Adjective
  • That is the kind of plan the Cubs actually might pursue if owner Tom Ricketts were operating the team as a big-market behemoth rather than an efficient Midwest bank.
    Ken Rosenthal, The Athletic, 13 Dec. 2024
  • The terracotta facade also acts as an efficient rainscreen and provides passive heating and cooling.
    Mark David, Robb Report, 13 Dec. 2024
Adjective
  • Even his fellow prolific contemporaries don’t have a bar so high — sorry, Ridley Scott.
    Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 9 Dec. 2024
  • Flashback: Thurber House was the home of humorist James Thurber, a prolific early 20th century author, journalist and playwright who lived there from 1913-17 while studying at OSU.
    Andrew King, Axios, 9 Dec. 2024
Adjective
  • Choosing high-end, effective devices can elevate a clinic’s reputation — but incorporating low-quality technologies can have the opposite effect.
    Chris Gallagher, USA TODAY, 13 Dec. 2024
  • Joseph Curtis, the superintendent of Pittsfield Public Schools, said in a statement on Wednesday that Mr. Wiggins had been placed on administrative leave effective immediately.
    Jenna Russell, New York Times, 12 Dec. 2024
Adjective
  • The moment is at once rich with relief and freighted with ominousness: Lady Liberty is filmed upside down.
    Alexandra Schwartz, The New Yorker, 13 Dec. 2024
  • A little salt balances the sweetness, and chocolate is rich, pleasantly, bitter, sweet and decadent.
    Melissa Gray, Southern Living, 12 Dec. 2024
Adjective
  • Not every conversation can lead to a productive dialogue.
    Carine Harb, Newsweek, 10 Dec. 2024
  • Rapid digital transformation, and a maturing population of digital-natives, have created a productive environment for financial technology innovation.
    Stephen Bohanon, Forbes, 10 Dec. 2024

Thesaurus Entries Near fruitful

Cite this Entry

“Fruitful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fruitful. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on fruitful

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