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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 Paleontological excavations at this site have previously been fruitful, according to the study, with animals ranging from mollusks to iguanian lizards to dinosaur giants like titanosaurs discovered buried in the sediment. Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 26 Sep. 2025 My and my colleagues’ research into the ways brain activity across people aligns or diverges as they converse suggests that seeking to persuade may not be the most fruitful way to approach a conversation. Emily Falk, Scientific American, 25 Sep. 2025 Former Boise State star Ashton Jeanty hasn’t enjoyed the most fruitful start to his NFL career. Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 24 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 See All Example Sentences for fruitful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fruitful
Adjective
  • Succession worries mean that Japan is likely to remain a growth market, and a fertile ground for PE firms hunting for bargain deals.
    Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 19 Oct. 2025
  • Traditionally, the north east of England has been regarded as a fertile breeding ground for talent, but its clubs have been rather less good at keeping that talent and rather less good altogether.
    George Caulkin, New York Times, 16 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • As tinted denim becomes more mainstream, mills are developing ways to make the process more efficient.
    Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 20 Oct. 2025
  • Regularly vacuuming is one of the most efficient ways to prevent and get rid of carpet beetles.
    Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 20 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Delving into the tragic murder of Ajike Owens, a Black Florida woman, at the hands of her white neighbor Susan Lorincz, the new film from prolific documentarian Geeta Gandbhir examines issues of race, class, community, and surveillance.
    Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 22 Oct. 2025
  • In Isaac McKneely, Louisville basketball has one of the country's most prolific sharpshooters.
    Ray Padilla, Louisville Courier Journal, 21 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • What are the features of audiences, messages, and messengers on social media that are most effective at influencing people?
    Big Think, Big Think, 18 Oct. 2025
  • Surgery is often an effective treatment option for people with early-stage stomach cancer.
    Carrie Madormo, Health, 18 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • The thrill of the unexplained is what prompts so many to take ghost tours, which often tell juicy and sometimes goosebump-inducing stories that give historic sites a richer context.
    Sophie Friedman, AFAR Media, 22 Oct. 2025
  • The upper of the shoes is made from a rich suede in a burgundy wine color, which adds texture to the heels and serves as the backdrop for the colorful beaded spikes.
    Karla Rodriguez, Footwear News, 21 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • If Toronto wants to keep clawing back in this series, a productive Guerrero is essential.
    Mitch Bannon, New York Times, 16 Oct. 2025
  • Even in the best-case scenario — artificial intelligence transforms the economy, making Americans richer and more productive — AI will involve lots of disruption.
    Allison Schrager, Mercury News, 16 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Fruitful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fruitful. Accessed 24 Oct. 2025.

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