fruitful

/ˈfruːtfl/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈfruːtfl/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈfrüt-fəl/ (ame, mw)

fruitful — adjective

  • fruitfulpositive
  • more fruitfulcomparative
  • most fruitfulsuperlative

1. achieving what was hoped for; bringing about positive or valuable outcomes.

1.形容詞B2
釋義

achieving what was hoped for; bringing about positive or valuable outcomes.

例句

Wei and her team had a fruitful meeting with the investors yesterday.

collocation: fruitful meeting

The partnership between Lincoln School and a language institute in Kyoto proved fruitful: forty students won overseas scholarships.

prove + fruitful; colon elaborates the outcome

同義詞
  • productive

    focuses on the volume of output, not necessarily the value of the result

  • rewarding

    emphasises personal satisfaction rather than objective success

  • successful

    stresses achieving a specific goal; broader in scope

反義詞
  • fruitless

    producing no useful results

  • unproductive

    failing to produce enough; more about quantity than quality

用法筆記

Collocates strongly with nouns describing effort or cooperation: discussion, meeting, collaboration, partnership, conversation, trip.

常見錯誤

❌The factory was fruitful this quarter.
✅The factory was productive this quarter.
💡'fruitful' is used for valuable outcomes such as ideas and discussions, not industrial output.

2. describes a person, especially a woman in older or religious writing, who has gi

2.形容詞C1
釋義

describes a person, especially a woman in older or religious writing, who has given birth to many children.

例句

In the old stories, Ravi's great-grandmother was fruitful and raised nine children.

literary register: fruitful = having many children

Psalm 128 describes the fruitful woman whose children sit around her table like young olive trees.

同義詞
  • prolific

    more formal; also used for animals and creative output

  • fecund

    very formal and literary; rare in everyday English

反義詞

用法筆記

Distinguish from sense 1 (GOOD RESULTS): this meaning is limited to having children and appears mainly in older literature, religious texts, and historical accounts.

常見錯誤

❌The fruitful couple adopted three dogs.
✅The couple had eight children; they were known as a fruitful family.
💡'fruitful' in this sense refers specifically to giving birth to children, not to general productivity or raising pets.

3. growing well and producing plenty of fruit, vegetables, or other crops.

3.形容詞B2
釋義

growing well and producing plenty of fruit, vegetables, or other crops.

例句

The apple trees in Chidi's garden were especially fruitful this autumn.

fruitful + season: fruitful this autumn

After seven years of careful tending, the Merlot vineyard on the Tuscan hillside finally became fruitful.

become fruitful

同義詞
  • fertile

    focuses on the soil or land's capacity to support growth

  • productive

    emphasises high yield; also used for farmland

  • lush

    describes healthy, thick growth rather than the yield itself

反義詞
  • barren

    unable to produce vegetation

  • infertile

    lacking the nutrients or conditions to support plant growth

用法筆記

Distinguish from sense 1 (GOOD RESULTS): this sense is literal, referring to plants and crops rather than abstract results.

常見錯誤

❌The fruitful soil grew brilliant ideas.
✅The fruitful soil grew healthy vegetables.
💡sense 3 is literal, referring to actual plants and crops rather than metaphorical growth.