unfruitful
/ʌnˈfruːt.fəl/ (bre, ipa) · /ʌnˈfruːt.fəl/ (ame, ipa) · /ˌən-ˈfrüt-fəl How to pronounce unfruitful (audio)/ (ame, mw)
unfruitful — 形容詞
- unfruitfulpositive
- more unfruitfulcomparative
- most unfruitfulsuperlative
1. Not producing the desired or expected useful result, even though effort was put
徒勞；無成果
努力後沒有得到預期好結果的
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.
Gabriel 長期尋找治療方法卻徒勞無功，但他拒絕放棄。
proved + unfruitful (linking verb pattern)
The two sides held three more unfruitful meetings before the talks finally ended.
雙方又開了三次毫無成果的會議，之後談判才終於結束。
attributive: unfruitful + noun (meetings, search, attempt)
Sofia described her unfruitful attempts to find work as the hardest part of the year.
Sofia 說她那段徒勞無功的求職嘗試，是那年最難熬的時期。
All of Cyrus's unfruitful job applications left him feeling discouraged.
Cyrus 投出的履歷全都徒勞無果，讓他感到十分氣餒。
The committee's unfruitful discussions lasted for months without any agreement being reached.
委員會的討論持續數月毫無成果，始終未能達成任何協議。
- 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).
不結實；貧瘠
無法長出果實或作物的
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.
山區的土地貧瘠，無法種植任何蔬菜。
attributive: unfruitful + noun (soil, land, field)
After years of drought, the once-rich farmland became dry and unfruitful.
經過多年乾旱，原本肥沃的農地變得乾燥而不長作物。
Bao planted an apple tree, but it remained unfruitful season after season.
Bao 種了一棵蘋果樹，但一年一年過去，那棵樹始終不結果實。
The gardener replaced the unfruitful vines with hardier drought-resistant plants.
園丁把不結果的葡萄藤換掉，改種了更耐旱的品種。
- 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.
不孕；不育
無法生育子女的
Unable to have children; not able to produce offspring.
In ancient times, an unfruitful marriage was often seen as a family tragedy.
在古代，不育的夫妻常被視為家庭悲劇。
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.
古籍記載這位皇后不孕，這引發了王位繼承危機。
Medical records from that period show that unfruitful couples were sometimes treated with herbal remedies.
那個時代的醫療紀錄顯示，不孕的夫婦有時會用草藥來治療。
The museum's exhibit explained how unfruitful women were once unfairly blamed for a couple's childlessness.
博物館的展覽說明了過去人們如何把無法生育的責任不公平地歸咎於女性。
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.