fertileadjective
uk/ˈfɜː.taɪl/us/ˈfɝː.t̬əl/fertile adjective (LAND)
C2 Fertile land can produce a large number of good quality crops.
Compare
barren
Examples
- The ploughed earth looked rich and dark and fertile.
- In order to turn the deserts into fertile and productive land, engineers built an 800-mile canal.
- Organic farmers don't put chemicals into the soil, but keep it fertile by growing clover and adding manure.
- These plants need a moist fertile soil and a sheltered position.
- The corn grows waist-high in these fertile fields.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Fertile or infertile land
- barren
- bread basket
- cultivable
- denude
- exuberant
- fallow
- fertility
- granary
- hospitable
- hostile
- infertile
- luscious
- lush
- luxuriant
- marginal land
- overgrown
- rank
- rich
- sterile
- verdant
fertile adjective (PEOPLE/ANIMALS/PLANTS)
Fertile animals or plants are able to produce (a lot of) young or fruit:
People get less fertile as they get older.
Opposite
infertile
A fertile seed or egg is able to develop into a new plant or animal.
More examples
- Cats become fertile at about 6 months old.
- Women become less fertile as their age increases.
- To improve your chances of conceiving, you should know at what time in your menstrual cycle you are most fertile.
- The tests showed that you are perfectly fertile and that, in theory, you should be able to have a family.
- The female laid sixteen fertile eggs, each resulting in a healthy chick.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Animal reproduction
- asexual
- asexual reproduction
- bird
- breed
- egg
- embryo
- embryonic
- estrogen
- fertilize
- incubate
- infertile
- inseminate
- lamb
- mate
- ova
- reproduction
- seminal
- spawning ground
- spermatozoon
- the birds and the bees idiom
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fertile adjective (IMAGINATION)
A fertile mind or imagination is active and produces a lot of interesting and unusual ideas.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Imagining and conceiving
- a reach of the imagination idiom
- assume
- blue-sky
- conceivable
- conceive
- conceptualize
- dream
- feel
- fertility
- foundation
- grant
- look on/upon sb/sth as sth
- mind
- picture
- presumption
- put
- put yourself in sb's place/position/shoes idiom
- reckon
- riot
- suspicion
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Idiom(s)
fertile ground for sth