Merriam-Webster Logo
SINCE 1828
Menu
dictionary thesaurus

Thesaurus

fertile

adjective

Synonyms and Antonyms of fertile

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

cornucopian, fat, fecund, fructuous, fruitful, lush, luxuriant, productive, prolific, rich
Words Related to fertile

bearing, generative, producing, yielding

abounding, abundant, bountiful

copious, generous, liberal, plenteous, plentiful, plenitudinous

blooming, bursting, flourishing, swarming, teeming, thriving

creative, inventive, original
Near Antonyms of fertile

meager (or meagre), scant, scanty, skimp, skimpy, spare, sparse
Antonyms of fertile

barren, dead, infertile, sterile, unfertile, unfruitful, unproductive

Synonym Discussion of fertile

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

Learn More about fertile

  1. See words that rhyme with fertile Dictionary: Definition of fertile Medical Dictionary: Definition of fertile Spanish Central: Translation of fertile Nglish: Translation of fertile for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of fertile for Arabic speakers

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up fertile? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show comments hide comments

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

WORD OF THE DAY

canker

Listen to the pronounciation of canker

to corrupt or become corrupted

Get Word of the Day daily email!

TRENDING NOW

  1. mendacious, mendacity George Conway calls Trump a liar

  2. crawdad New novel makes waves

  3. non sequitur, sequitur Manafort judge addresses defense

SEE ALL

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games