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
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
The contraceptive is formulated for rats and mice, so other animals would have to eat very large amounts to be rendered infertile, and even then, the effect would be reversible, according to Wisdom Good Works founder Loretta Mayer, who spoke at a recent webinar hosted by the Chicago Bird Alliance.
—Nara Schoenberg, Chicago Tribune, 27 Aug. 2025
When lions and tigers mate in zoos, their liger cubs have suffered heart failure and other health problems (and the males seem uniformly infertile).
—Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 31 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for infertile
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
The contraceptive is formulated for rats and mice, so other animals would have to eat very large amounts to be rendered infertile, and even then, the effect would be reversible, according to Wisdom Good Works founder Loretta Mayer, who spoke at a recent webinar hosted by the Chicago Bird Alliance.
—Nara Schoenberg, Chicago Tribune, 27 Aug. 2025
When lions and tigers mate in zoos, their liger cubs have suffered heart failure and other health problems (and the males seem uniformly infertile).
—Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 31 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for infertile
Recent Examples of Synonyms for infertile
Adjective
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Rockets and satellites were historically mostly built in massive, sterile places where engineers in Tyvek suits moved cautiously around intricate components.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Oct. 2025
-
Intelligence Profiles That Foster Innovation At GAIME Conference, creativity is the focus, not sterile conference rooms.—
Connie Etemadi,
USA Today,
28 Oct. 2025
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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The Irvines’ son died in the crash, and Peter used the cover of the most inexplicably desolate street in Chicago to switch his body for Carrie’s healthy son while the two women lay unconscious.—
Hunter Ingram,
Variety,
8 Nov. 2025
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Almost always surrounded by bare, desolate mountains.—
Joe Baur,
Outside,
31 Oct. 2025
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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The Ministry of Environment blamed this year’s surge on a poor acorn harvest – which drove a similar spate of attacks in 2023.—
Jessie Yeung,
CNN Money,
7 Nov. 2025
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Rather, the slow start (by Ovechkin’s standards) to this season seemed due more to poor puck luck.—
Sean Gentille,
New York Times,
6 Nov. 2025
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 11 Nov. 2025.
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