Synonyms of fertile

fertile

adjective

ˈfər-tᵊl 

as in prolific

producing abundantly

the fertile mind of Leonardo da Vinci explored art, architecture, engineering, mathematics, and many other fields

Synonyms & Similar Words

• prolific
• rich
• fecund
• fruitful
• productive
• lush
• generative
• creative
• luxuriant
• abundant
• inventive
• producing
• plentiful
• generous
• fat
• fructuous
• cornucopian
• bearing
• bountiful
• yielding
• thriving
• copious
• liberal
• flourishing
• original
• bursting
• blooming
• plenteous
• teeming
• abounding
• swarming
• plenitudinous

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• sterile
• barren
• infertile
• dead
• unproductive
• unfruitful
• unfertile
• sparse
• scanty
• meager
• scant
• spare
• skimpy
• meagre
• skimp

Synonym Chooser

How is the word fertile distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of fertile are fecund, fruitful, and prolific. While all these words mean "producing or capable of producing offspring or fruit," 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

Where would fecund be a reasonable alternative to fertile?

While the synonyms fecund and fertile are close in meaning, fecund emphasizes abundance or rapidity in bearing fruit or offspring.

a fecund herd

How is fruitful related to other words for fertile?

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

fruitful research

In what contexts can prolific take the place of fertile?

Although the words prolific and fertile have much in common, prolific stresses rapidity of spreading or multiplying by or as if by natural reproduction.

a prolific writer

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of fertile

American coach Mike Sullivan believes Saturday’s game and those like it present a great opportunity for the sport, especially in the US where some fertile ground is just now being harvested. —Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 16 Feb. 2025

The male fly approaches the female from below during mating and researchers believe that their eyes have evolved to determine whether the female is truly full of eggs or just pretending to be fertile in order to receive food gifts. —Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Feb. 2025

And the professional basketball front office proves a fertile ground for comfortably low-stakes sitcom high jinks, particularly when a loose-cannon player (Chet Hanks) starts making a mess of the Waves' public image. —Kelly Lawler, USA TODAY, 28 Feb. 2025

These losses are exacerbated by factors such as high unemployment, economic recessions, soaring energy costs, and low human development indices, all of which create fertile ground for electricity theft. —Dianne Plummer, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2025