fruitful

American  

[froot-fuhl] / ˈfrut fəl /

adjective

1. producing good results; beneficial; profitable.

   fruitful investigations.

   Antonyms:

   barren

2. abounding in fruit, as trees or other plants; bearing fruit abundantly.

3. producing an abundant growth, as of fruit.

   fruitful soil; fruitful rain.

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fruitful British  

/ ˈfruːtfʊl /

adjective

1. bearing fruit in abundance

2. productive or prolific, esp in bearing offspring

3. causing or assisting prolific growth

4. producing results or profits

   a fruitful discussion

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Synonym Usage

See productive.

Other Word Forms

• fruitfulness
  noun
• overfruitfulness
  noun
• overfruitful
  adjective
• fruitfully
  adverb
• overfruitfully
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of fruitful

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English; fruit + -ful

Explanation

When something is fruitful, it's productive — but you don't have to produce fruit in order to be fruitful. You could have a fruitful trip to the mall if you come home with a slew of snappy new outfits. There's a famous line from the Bible: "Be fruitful and multiply." That gives you a pretty good sense of the word: fruitful activity multiplies or adds to what's already there, producing more of something. A couple is fruitful if they have children: the more children, the more fruitful. An artist is fruitful if they create a lot of artwork. A business is fruitful if it creates profits and expands. Anything fruitful is productive: it grows and produces, much like a fruit tree.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

fruitful

It examines the fruitful influence each had on the other and the lasting impact of their artistic visions on the modern and contemporary realms.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 27, 2026

I can really zone in on what is the most fruitful at the moment while still keeping these other balls in the air,” he said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 25, 2026

However, the decision to include players like Djed Spence - playing for relegation-threatened Tottenham - proved to be a fruitful one.

From BBC ● Jul. 17, 2026

Regional markets enjoyed a fruitful first half of the year thanks to a surge in tech stocks, but ructions in the sector over the past few weeks have raised concerns that a bubble has formed.

From Barron's ● Jul. 1, 2026

They could best understand her, too, who was worshiped, not like other gods by the bloody sacrifices men liked, but in every humble act that made the farm fruitful.

From "Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes" by Edith Hamilton

Related Words

• advantageous
• beneficial
• conducive
• effective
• profitable
• rewarding
• successful
• useful
• worthwhile