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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

Example 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 This action in some crowded, expensive stocks after a long and fruitful rally could simply be a bout of profit-taking and belated seasonal choppiness. Michael Santoli, CNBC, 23 Sep. 2025 Some of that advocacy has already proved fruitful overseas; other trade groups have fought for similar protections from AI. Meghan Hall, Sourcing Journal, 23 Sep. 2025 Sometimes the most fruitful foraging spots are private ranches, farms or backyards. Tiffany Acosta, AZCentral.com, 19 Sep. 2025 So very fruitful partnership, giving back to the community. James Brizuela, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for fruitful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fruitful
Adjective
  • Forget, for a second, that this signals what may either be an extraordinary one-off for the legendary actor or the beginning of a fertile new chapter.
    David Fear, Rolling Stone, 28 Sep. 2025
  • For international brands, Chengdu-Chongqing offers fertile ground for building communities and expanding retail presence.
    Li Jun, Footwear News, 26 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • But Edison’s bulb was just one piece of a much more complicated system that included an efficient dynamo – the powerful machine that generated electricity – plus a network of underground wires and new types of lamps.
    Ernest Freeberg, The Conversation, 29 Sep. 2025
  • Lori Nickel shares how former Brewers player and now-associate manager Rickie Weeks finished his degree to become an efficient communicator.
    Hope Karnopp, jsonline.com, 29 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Graham often grabs stories straight out of the news, and both Sherwood and Punch are based on real events (as were Tammy Faye and Ink, the prolific playwright’s last visits to Broadway).
    Sara Holdren, Vulture, 30 Sep. 2025
  • Each one has been more prolific than the next although the spotlight has definitively shifted to Pio who, along with Liverpool’s Giovanni Leoni, is considered the outstanding Italian talent of his age group, regardless of position.
    James Horncastle, New York Times, 30 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • If someone is forced to fight an attacker, the officer said the most effective targets are the eyes, throat and groin.
    Nour Rahal, Freep.com, 4 Oct. 2025
  • Broadleaf herbicides are effective, too, and fall is the best time to apply them.
    Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • One way is when iron-rich rock is exposed to high temperatures and acidic conditions, but neither are evident in the area around Cheyava Falls.
    Keith Cooper, Space.com, 1 Oct. 2025
  • The story has too many rich details to be a lie, and Marlon knows something of woe too.
    Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 1 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • And all the reports about why the visit might not have been as productive as everyone hoped point to one thing in particular.
    Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 2 Oct. 2025
  • It's said that completing your tasks in the 1-3-5 structure is the key to most people's successful and productive days.
    Mary Cornetta, Better Homes & Gardens, 2 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Fruitful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fruitful. Accessed 6 Oct. 2025.

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