1
as in sterile
not able to produce fruit or offspring
an infertile cow is of limited use to a farmer
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in barren
producing inferior or only a small amount of vegetation
only parched, infertile fields remained after months of drought
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of infertile
In 2023, while at Weill Cornell Medicine, Balbach helped drive the discovery that blocking another crucial sperm enzyme made mice temporarily infertile, initially raising the potential for a non-hormonal male birth control.
—
Hannah Millington, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Oct. 2025
Queen wasps can live up to a year, while worker wasps, infertile females that build and defend the nest, live two to three weeks.
—Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 13 Oct. 2025
The procedure is similar to one performed on infertile living men.
—Amelie Botbol, FOXNews.com, 5 Oct. 2025
Scientists have created human eggs containing genes from adult skin cells, a step that someday could help women who are infertile or gay couples have babies with their own genes but would also raise difficult ethical, social and legal issues.
—Rob Stein, NPR, 30 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for infertile
Hannah Millington, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Oct. 2025
Queen wasps can live up to a year, while worker wasps, infertile females that build and defend the nest, live two to three weeks.
—Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 13 Oct. 2025
The procedure is similar to one performed on infertile living men.
—Amelie Botbol, FOXNews.com, 5 Oct. 2025
Scientists have created human eggs containing genes from adult skin cells, a step that someday could help women who are infertile or gay couples have babies with their own genes but would also raise difficult ethical, social and legal issues.
—Rob Stein, NPR, 30 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for infertile
Recent Examples of Synonyms for infertile
Adjective
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This makes your home feel intentional and personal instead of sterile and unoriginal.—
Ashlyn Needham,
The Spruce,
8 Jan. 2026
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Many japonica camellias, in the manner of other botanical hybrids, are sterile with their yellow, thread-like stamens and stigmas either absent or invisible.—
Joshua Siskin,
Oc Register,
8 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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The barren Martian landscape stretches as far as the eye can see, interrupted only occasionally by the faintest of tire tracks marking the unpaved road on Libya’s north-south route.—
Mick Krever,
CNN Money,
6 Nov. 2025
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In the wild, macaques can traverse miles of novel terrain each week and socialize through grooming, but in many laboratories they are isolated in barren cages no bigger than a washing machine.—
Ava Kofman,
New Yorker,
3 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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Sátántangó’s desolate landscapes, dominated by mud, wind, and overcast skies, summoned a vision of earthly purgatory unrivaled in almost all of cinema.—
Tim Grierson,
Rolling Stone,
6 Jan. 2026
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Thanksgiving is desolate with freezing rain.—
Allegra Goodman,
New Yorker,
4 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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All the struggling, impoverished Californians who wish their lives were better?—
U T Editorial Board,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
8 Nov. 2025
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The flood of people overwhelmed Bajo Chiquito, an impoverished community of 382 members of the Indigenous Emberá-Wounaan people.—
Daniel Gonzalez,
AZCentral.com,
5 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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Flooding may occur in poor drainage and urban areas.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
10 Jan. 2026
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In recent games, KU’s communication has been pretty poor on defense and that’s led to players taking (and too often missing) wide-open 3-pointers.—
Shreyas Laddha,
Kansas City Star,
10 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Movies based on videogames, once unfertile IP for Hollywood at the box office, have blossomed in recent years.—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
9 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Infertile.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/infertile. Accessed 10 Jan. 2026.
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