unfruitful

[uhn-froot-fuhl]

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adjective

not providing satisfaction; unprofitable: unfruitful efforts.
not producing offspring; sterile: an unfruitful marriage.
not yielding good crops; infertile: unfruitful acres.

not bearing fruit; fruitless; barren: an unfruitful tree.

Origin of unfruitful

Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400; see origin at un-¹, fruitful

Related formsun·fruit·ful·ly, adverbun·fruit·ful·ness, noun

Synonyms for unfruitful

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1. fruitless, unproductive, vain, unrewarding.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for unfruitful

fruitless, impotent, infertile, sterile, unproductive, nonproductive, unsuccessful, arid, barren, effete, useless, wasted, acarpous, infecund, unrewarding

Examples from the Web for unfruitful

Historical Examples of unfruitful

The works of darkness are unfruitful because they are transient.
Expositions of Holy Scripture
Alexander Maclaren
And they are unfruitful because, whilst they last, they yield no real satisfaction.
Expositions of Holy Scripture
Alexander Maclaren
Futile for a time were the parental arguments, unfruitful every effort!
Political Women (Vol. 1 of 2)
Sutherland Menzies
He has not cast out the unfruitful, but has tenderly spared them.
The Parables of Our Lord
William Arnot
I coughed and made other noises, with like unfruitful result.
The Wild Huntress
Mayne Reid

British Dictionary definitions for unfruitful

unfruitful

adjective

barren, unproductive, or unprofitable
failing to produce or develop into fruit

Derived Formsunfruitfully, adverbunfruitfulness, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for unfruitful

adj.

late 14c., "barren," from un- (1) "not" + fruitful. Originally literal; figurative sense is attested from c.1400. Related: Unfruitfully; unfruitfulness.