fruitful

[ froot-fuhl ]

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.

fruitful

/ 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

Derived Forms

• ˈfruitfully, adverb
• ˈfruitfulness, noun

Other Words From

• fruitful·ly adverb
• fruitful·ness noun
• over·fruitful adjective
• over·fruitful·ly adverb
• over·fruitful·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of fruitful¹

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

Synonym Study

See productive.

Example Sentences

We’d do well, then, to seek guidance from Darrel Morrison, who has spent a fruitful life designing with native flora and teaching others how to do the same.

From Washington Post

In this regard, one of the most fruitful research approaches has involved the study of how nerve cells communicate with other cells in the body, and how various drugs might alter this communication.

From MIT Technology Review

Forty-seven years ago, Japan used the Olympics Opening Ceremony to announce itself to the world as a modern, fruitful society.

From The Daily Beast

Transits soon overtook wobbles as the most fruitful planet-finding strategy.

From Science News

To those who looked myopically only at recent years of the harvest, which had been quite sufficient, he pointed out that those years had been unusually fruitful, which masked the problem.

From MIT Technology Review

These are all fruitful options to pursue for any atheist interested in challenging the immoral stereotypes we have.

From The Daily Beast

After a fruitful year (earning $81 total) he expanded his enterprise.

From The Daily Beast

That marked the beginning of a fruitful long-term relationship with his Ethiopian clients.

From The Daily Beast

Then, defying all logic, it somehow blossomed into an amazing, fruitful romance.

From The Daily Beast

Reporters found that scouring the Internet for remarks made by Ukip members was proving fruitful.

From The Daily Beast

Nothing, however, can save us but a union, which would turn our barren hills into fruitful valleys.

From Project Gutenberg

Our escort was mounted within a few minutes, and we were in full gallop over the fruitful levels of Champagne.

From Project Gutenberg

It seemed an unpromising subject, but they fell upon it with ardour, and found it strangely fruitful.

From Project Gutenberg

Why did he quit the fruitful banks of the Euphrates for a spot so remote, so barren, and so stony as Sichem?

From Project Gutenberg

One of the most fruitful fields for this instrument is undoubtedly stellar spectroscopy.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

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