unfruitful

adjective

un·​fruit·​ful ˌən-ˈfrüt-fəl 

: not fruitful: such as

a

: not producing offspring : barren

b

: yielding no valuable result : unprofitable

an unfruitful conference

unfruitfully

ˌən-ˈfrüt-fə-lē 

adverb

unfruitfulness noun

Synonyms

• sterile
• barren
• fruitless

Examples of unfruitful in a Sentence

disappointed to discover that the mare was unfruitful

Recent Examples on the Web

From Sonos’ side, this could just be a logical conclusion to a somewhat unfruitful partnership with mid-tier products that the brand itself increasingly competes directly with. —Parker Hall, Wired News, 7 May 2025

But his administration’s efforts, so far, have been unfruitful. —Elizabeth Crisp, The Hill, 23 Apr. 2025

After a brief and unfruitful stint as a scout for the major league Milwaukee Brewers in the early 1970s, Uecker moved to the radio booth. —Joseph Wilkinson, New York Daily News, 16 Jan. 2025

Some new grads have expressed frustration with lengthy and unfruitful job searches and questioned whether their work earning a degree was worth it. —Jamie Merisotis, Forbes, 30 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for unfruitful

• fruitful

Kids Definition

unfruitful

adjective

un·​fruit·​ful ˌən-ˈfrüt-fəl 

1

: not bearing fruit or offspring

2

: not producing a desired result

unfruitful efforts