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

• fertile
• 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

But there are genuine stories behind it all, the player who worked at it, overcame adversity, made fruitful decisions, catapulted the competition, and the family who facilitated it, team behind the dream. —Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 25 June 2025

Spirits can offer protection to homes and businesses, ensure a fruitful year or safeguard the health of friends and loved ones — a sip of the Champagne of fruit sodas lubricating these prayers of course. —Vanessa Anderson, Los Angeles Times, 19 June 2025

But there’s probably only one prospect, Matt Savoie, who’s expected to play NHL games next season and is slated to have a fruitful big-league career. —Daniel Nugent-Bowman, New York Times, 18 June 2025

Her transition to acting has been a fruitful one, with main roles on series like The Mindy Project (2015–2017), Champions (2018), and Bless the Harts (2019–2021). —Randall Colburn, EW.com, 12 June 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