fruitful

adjective

fruit·​ful ˈfrüt-fəl 

1

a

: yielding or producing fruit

fruitful soil

b

: conducive to an abundant yield

fruitful rain

2

: abundantly productive

a fruitful discussion

a fruitful career

fruitfully

ˈfrüt-fə-lē 

adverb

fruitfulness noun

Synonyms

• cornucopian
• fat
• fecund
• fertile
• fructuous
• lush
• luxuriant
• productive
• prolific
• rich

Choose the Right Synonym for fruitful

fertile, fecund, fruitful, prolific mean producing or capable of producing offspring or fruit.

fertile implies the power to reproduce in kind or to assist in reproduction and growth

fertile soil

; applied figuratively, it suggests readiness of invention and development.

a fertile imagination

fecund emphasizes abundance or rapidity in bearing fruit or offspring.

a fecund herd

fruitful adds to fertile and fecund the implication of desirable or useful results.

fruitful research

prolific stresses rapidity of spreading or multiplying by or as if by natural reproduction.

a prolific writer

Examples of fruitful in a Sentence

We had a fruitful discussion about the problems with the schedule.

a very fruitful tree that gives us plenty of apples every year

Recent Examples on the Web

While admitting that not every day is a good one, her new routine has given her structure and a plan which has already proved to be fruitful. —Ben Church, CNN Money, 31 Mar. 2025

Reflected in an average pass completion rate compared to positional peers (84.7 per cent), Cardoso’s forward balls are not always as fruitful. —Elias Burke, New York Times, 27 Mar. 2025

Many thanks to the Thessaloniki International Film and Doc Festival and especially Agora for our warm and fruitful collaboration over the last 17 years and for their great work in the film industry. —Matthew Carey, Deadline, 16 Mar. 2025

Fifteen months later that model has proved fruitful in the Brass City, reducing the number of homicides and most violent crimes including robberies, burglaries, and auto thefts, according to the chief. —Livi Stanford, Hartford Courant, 10 Mar. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English fruitful, fruiteful, frutefull, from fruit, frute fruit entry 1 + -ful, -full -ful entry 1

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing fruitful

• self-fruitful

Rhymes for fruitful

• unfruitful

Kids Definition

fruitful

adjective

fruit·​ful ˈfrüt-fəl 

1

: yielding or producing fruit

2

a

: very productive

a fruitful soil

b

: bringing results

a fruitful idea

fruitfully

-fə-lē 

adverb

fruitfulness noun