Synonym Chooser

How is the word prolific distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of prolific are fecund, fertile, and fruitful. While all these words mean "producing or capable of producing offspring or fruit," prolific stresses rapidity of spreading or multiplying by or as if by natural reproduction.

a prolific writer

When is fecund a more appropriate choice than prolific?

The meanings of fecund and prolific largely overlap; however, fecund emphasizes abundance or rapidity in bearing fruit or offspring.

a fecund herd

When is it sensible to use fertile instead of prolific?

The words fertile and prolific are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, 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

How does the word fruitful relate to other synonyms for prolific?

Fruitful adds to fertile and fecund the implication of desirable or useful results.

fruitful research

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 prolific The mechanical underpinnings were handled by Gianpaolo Dallara, while the steel monocoque chassis was dressed in a fiber-glass body penned by prolific automotive designer Tom Tjaarda. Viju Mathew, Robb Report, 20 Oct. 2025 James was a prolific Nashville songwriter, a Songwriters Hall of Fame inductee and Grammy winner. Audrey Gibbs, Nashville Tennessean, 20 Oct. 2025 In 1814, in the city of Cap-Henry (Cap-Haitien), King Henry Christophe’s most prolific secretary, Baron de Vastey, published a striking testimonial against slavery, Le Système colonial dévoilé, or The Colonial System Unveiled. Literary Hub, 20 Oct. 2025 The British photographer’s most fashionable and prolific photographic years were between 1927 to 1956. Hikmat Mohammed, Footwear News, 20 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for prolific
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prolific
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
  • 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

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Cite this Entry

“Prolific.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prolific. Accessed 25 Oct. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on prolific

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