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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 had met while making The Wiz, and their creative partnership proved incredibly fruitful. Ew Staff, EW.com, 4 Nov. 2024 But recently, a collaboration with fellow musician Ferry Townes proved fruitful enough to share. Jack Irvin, People.com, 1 Nov. 2024 That would mark the beginning of a fruitful partnership with Corman, as Haze went on to star in nearly 20 of his films. Edward Segarra, USA TODAY, 5 Nov. 2024 Martinique’s contemporaneous Négritude movement made fruitful use of Surrealism alongside Marxism, colonial resistance, and an embrace of Blackness. Jack Denton, Vulture, 11 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for fruitful 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fruitful
Adjective
  • And Jordan itself has become an increasingly fertile market for the amphetamine.
    Ed Caesar, The New Yorker, 4 Nov. 2024
  • Using his fertile imagination, Thomas finds a way out, and perhaps even a solution to his dad’s tyrannical regime.
    Leo Barraclough, Variety, 16 Oct. 2024
Adjective
  • Surprisingly, two of the three rats chose to take the less efficient path of turning away from the reward and running to the car to drive to their Froot Loop destination.
    Kelly Lambert, Discover Magazine, 14 Nov. 2024
  • Sweeter tomatoes may one day offer more efficient produce options for manufacturers.
    Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 14 Nov. 2024
Adjective
  • In addition, Chidsey oversaw Subway’s sale to Roark Capital Group, a prolific restaurant investor whose holdings also include Dunkin’ owner Inspire Brands.
    Prarthana Prakash, Fortune, 26 Nov. 2024
  • Collins was in prolific form in the run-up to the election, scooping several stories.
    Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 26 Nov. 2024
Adjective
  • Gardner praised his younger players for battling through the season after losing an effective senior class a year ago.
    Benjamin Royer, Los Angeles Times, 30 Nov. 2024
  • The powerboat racing business was a highly effective means of laundering their drug profits, and their dominance in the sport elevated them to celebrity status in the city and beyond.
    T.J. English, People.com, 30 Nov. 2024
Adjective
  • That’s when people, mostly rich ones, call The Gifterie, a bespoke gifting concierge that helps clients choose the perfect gift for the most affluent, famous, and picky people in the world.
    Alex Abad-Santos, Vox, 18 Nov. 2024
  • For a country three times the size of Texas, rich with culture, art and nature, the figure is a perfect encapsulation of the problem with overtourism: people descending on one or two main points while dozens of splendid places remain largely under the radar.
    Bloomberg, The Mercury News, 12 Nov. 2024
Adjective
  • Learning how to have productive conversations The week before Thanksgiving, Sandler's students role-played scenarios like how to have a productive discussion with someone who doesn't believe the truth and how to tell the difference between fact and opinion.
    Cait Bladt, CBS News, 28 Nov. 2024
  • The team is in desperate need of productive guard play.
    Rahat Huq, Forbes, 28 Nov. 2024

Thesaurus Entries Near fruitful

Cite this Entry

“Fruitful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fruitful. Accessed 3 Dec. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on fruitful

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