UNFERTILE Synonyms: 55 Similar and Opposite Words

unfertile

adjective

ˌən-ˈfər-tᵊl

Definition of unfertile

as in barren

producing inferior or only a small amount of vegetation struggling to make a living with the region's unfertile fields

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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 unfertile 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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for unfertile

Adjective

The primary targets are obvious; pitchers Mason Miller, Adrian Morejon and Michael King could be deployed to replenish a largely barren farm system.

— Dennis Lin, New York Times, 21 July 2026
In many cases, trees that in years past have been filled with fruit are this year barren.

— Pedro Moura, Los Angeles Times, 15 July 2026

Definition of barren

Adjective

However desolate Mars may appear from afar, there is certainly no shortage of activity on its surface — or discoveries still waiting to be made.

— Sharmila Kuthunur, Space.com, 17 July 2026
Despite the property damage, the New Jersey meteorite fragments are a rare reminder that asteroids aren’t always desolate, inert rocks.

— Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 15 July 2026

Definition of desolate

Adjective

In his recent memoir, Newsom describes being divided between his life as the son of an impoverished single mother and the surrogate son of a family with billions in oil industry money.

— Dan Walters, Mercury News, 15 July 2026
This British drama series follows a woman named Emma over the course of more than six decades of her life, from the 1900s through the 1970s, working her way from impoverished maid to the world’s richest woman.

— Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 12 July 2026

Definition of impoverished

Adjective

Madrid had a poor 2024-25, failing to win the Spanish title or the Champions League, but Mbappe still scored 42 goals in 44 appearances.

— Tim Spiers, New York Times, 21 July 2026
Using Neanderthal cranium shapes to estimate specific brain regions’ volume, some investigators claimed to see signs of a mind with feeble linguistic abilities, poor executive function and an unremarkable memory.

— Cody Cottier, Scientific American, 20 July 2026

Definition of poor

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unfeminine

unfertile

unfetter

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“Unfertile.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unfertile. Accessed 24 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of unfertile

adjective

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