unfruitful
/ʌnˈfruːt.fəl/ (bre, ipa) · /ʌnˈfruːt.fəl/ (ame, ipa) · /ˌən-ˈfrüt-fəl How to pronounce unfruitful (audio)/ (ame, mw)
unfruitful — adjective
- unfruitfulpositive
- more unfruitfulcomparative
- most unfruitfulsuperlative
1. Not producing the desired or expected useful result, even though effort was put
Not producing the desired or expected useful result, even though effort was put in.
Gabriel's long search for a cure proved unfruitful, but he refused to give up.
proved + unfruitful (linking verb pattern)
The two sides held three more unfruitful meetings before the talks finally ended.
attributive: unfruitful + noun (meetings, search, attempt)
Sofia described her unfruitful attempts to find work as the hardest part of the year.
All of Cyrus's unfruitful job applications left him feeling discouraged.
The committee's unfruitful discussions lasted for months without any agreement being reached.
- fruitless
more common in everyday English; interchangeable in this sense
- unproductive
slightly broader; can describe people as well as actions
- futile
stronger; suggests the effort was pointless from the start
- vain
literary or formal; often used in 'in vain' phrase
- fruitful
direct antonym; producing good results
- productive
producing a positive outcome; more practical tone
文法句型
unfruitful + noun
be / prove / remain + unfruitful
用法筆記
This is the most common sense of 'unfruitful'. Subject is usually an effort, search, discussion, or attempt. Often interchangeable with 'fruitless', though 'fruitless' is more frequent in everyday English.
常見錯誤
2. Not able to produce fruit or crops; not fertile (of soil, land, or plants).
Not able to produce fruit or crops; not fertile (of soil, land, or plants).
The unfruitful soil in the mountain region could not support any vegetables.
attributive: unfruitful + noun (soil, land, field)
After years of drought, the once-rich farmland became dry and unfruitful.
Bao planted an apple tree, but it remained unfruitful season after season.
The gardener replaced the unfruitful vines with hardier drought-resistant plants.
- barren
more common for land that yields no crops; can also be literal and figurative
- infertile
the standard modern term for soil unable to support plant growth
- unproductive
broader; can describe land, efforts, or people
文法句型
unfruitful + noun (soil, land, tree, vine)
become / remain + unfruitful
用法筆記
This literal sense is less common now; modern English more often uses 'infertile' for soil and 'barren' for land that grows nothing. 'Unfruitful' in this sense has a slightly literary or formal tone.
3. Unable to have children; not able to produce offspring.
Unable to have children; not able to produce offspring.
In ancient times, an unfruitful marriage was often seen as a family tragedy.
attributive: unfruitful + noun (marriage, wife, couple)
The old text described the queen as unfruitful, which led to a crisis over who would inherit the throne.
Medical records from that period show that unfruitful couples were sometimes treated with herbal remedies.
The museum's exhibit explained how unfruitful women were once unfairly blamed for a couple's childlessness.
文法句型
unfruitful + noun (marriage, wife, couple)
be / remain + unfruitful
用法筆記
This sense is formal and now considered dated. Modern English prefers 'infertile' for medical contexts or 'unable to have children' in neutral conversation. Reserved mostly for historical or literary writing.