fertile
gb/fˈɚtəl/ us/fˈɚtəl/
B1
English
~ 5200
termékeny, fogamzóképes, nemzőképes, kreatív, kedvező táptalaj, melegágya valaminek, életképes, csíraképes, termékeny napok, termékeny időszak, termékenységi ablak, tenyészanyag
B1
1
termékeny
B2
Usage pattern:
[land/soil/area] is fertile
The river floods every year, leaving behind incredibly fertile soil.
A folyó minden évben kiönt, és rendkívül termékeny talajt hagy maga után.
Farmers moved to the valley because its fertile land promised better harvests.
A gazdák a völgybe költöztek, mert a völgy termékeny földjei bővebb termést ígértek.
Without fertilizer, the once fertile fields slowly became less productive.
This region is known for its fertile plains and mild climate.
They planted grapes in the most fertile part of the hillside.
Learner examples
The soil in this garden is very fertile.
Ebben a kertben nagyon termékeny a talaj.
Many farmers need fertile land to grow food.
Sok gazdának termékeny földre van szüksége, hogy élelmiszert termesszen.
Trees grow fast in this fertile valley.
We bought a house next to fertile fields.
Fertile ground helps plants become strong.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse "fertile" with "fruitful". "Fertile" usually describes land or soil that can grow many plants, while "fruitful" is more often used for results or efforts that bring good outcomes, not physical soil.
Meaning
Land that produces many crops
Collocations
fertile soil
|fertile land
|fertile ground
|fertile valley
|highly fertile
|rich and fertile
Synonyms
productive (Focuses on high output in general, not only land or soil.)
|
rich (Commonly used for soil that has many nutrients; slightly more informal in this context.)
Antonyms
barren (Emphasizes land where almost nothing can grow.)
|
infertile (More technical or scientific; simply states that the soil cannot produce much growth.)
Themes
nature
|agriculture
|science
|food_drink
Definition
Describing land or soil where many plants can grow well.
Describing soil or land that can produce a large amount of healthy plants or crops.
B1
2
Usage pattern:
[someone/something] is fertile
Many couples seek medical help when they discover that only one partner is fertile.
Sok pár orvosi segítséget kér, amikor kiderül, hogy csak az egyik fél termékeny.
Women are usually most fertile in their twenties.
A nők általában a húszas éveikben a legtermékenyebbek.
The study found that men who exercised regularly were more fertile.
The hens are fertile, so the eggs may hatch in three weeks.
He worried that an illness in his youth might have left him less fertile.
Learner examples
The doctor said the couple is very fertile.
Az orvos azt mondta, hogy a pár nagyon termékeny.
She wants to have children while she is still fertile.
Addig szeretne gyereket vállalni, amíg még termékeny.
The farmer keeps only the most fertile cows.
Some people are not fertile and need help to have a baby.
A fertile man can make a woman pregnant.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use "fertile" to describe a pregnant woman, but it actually means she is able to become pregnant, not that she is already pregnant. Another confusion is between "fertile" and "fatal"; these words are unrelated.
Meaning
Able to have babies or offspring
Collocations
fertile woman
|fertile man
|fertile couple
|fertile age
|highly fertile
|remain fertile
Synonyms
able to conceive (More explicit and medical-sounding; focuses on a female's ability to become pregnant.)
|
reproductive (Technical; describes the general capacity for reproduction rather than the immediate ability to have offspring.)
Antonyms
infertile (Standard medical and everyday term for someone who cannot have children naturally.)
|
sterile (Often used in medical or technical contexts; can suggest a permanent inability to have offspring.)
Themes
health
|biology
|family
|animals
Definition
Describing a person, animal, or plant that can have babies or new young.
Describing a person, animal, or plant that is physically able to reproduce and produce offspring.
B2
3
Usage pattern:
[someone] has a fertile imagination/mind
With such a fertile imagination, she could turn any small event into a fascinating story.
Ilyen élénk képzelőerővel bármilyen apró eseményből lebilincselő történetet tudott kerekíteni.
The director's fertile mind completely changed the way people saw the play.
A rendező kreatív gondolkodása teljesen megváltoztatta, hogyan látták az emberek a darabot.
His fertile imagination sometimes made it hard to separate fact from fantasy.
The project grew out of one designer's fertile mind and soon involved the whole team.
Children often have fertile imaginations and can play for hours with simple toys.
Learner examples
The writer has a very fertile imagination.
Az írónak nagyon élénk a képzelete.
Children often have fertile minds.
A gyerekeknek gyakran élénk a képzeletük.
Her fertile imagination helps her write good stories.
He used his fertile mind to solve the problem.
A fertile imagination can sometimes make you worry too much.
Common mistake:
Because this sense is figurative, some learners try to say "very fertile" about people in general to mean they are creative. In everyday English, "fertile" for creativity is mostly used with words like "imagination" or "mind", not by itself.
Meaning
Very creative and full of ideas
Collocations
fertile imagination
|fertile mind
|fertile source of ideas
|fertile area for research
|fertile creative period
Synonyms
creative (Very common word; broadly means good at making new things or ideas, not just full of many ideas.)
|
prolific (Emphasizes producing a large number of works or ideas, often used for artists or writers.)
Antonyms
unimaginative (Suggests lacking new or original ideas, the opposite of a fertile imagination.)
|
dull (Informal; suggests boring and not creative.)
Themes
thinking
|creativity
|work
|arts_entertainment
|education
Definition
Describing a person who can think of many new and interesting ideas.
Describing a mind or imagination that produces many original ideas, images, or stories.
B2
4
Usage pattern:
[situation/place] is fertile ground for [something]
High youth unemployment created fertile ground for political unrest.
A fiatalok magas munkanélkülisége kedvező táptalajt teremtett a politikai zavargásoknak.
The internet has become fertile soil for conspiracy theories.
Az internet az összeesküvés-elméletek táptalajává vált.
The city's mix of cultures provides fertile conditions for new art and music.
Poor regulation made the market a fertile breeding ground for fraud.
The conference was fertile ground for future collaborations.
Learner examples
Cheap phones and fast internet are fertile ground for social media.
Az olcsó telefonok és a gyors internet kedvező táptalajt jelentenek a közösségi média terjedésének.
A weak law can be fertile ground for corruption.
Egy gyenge törvény a korrupció melegágya lehet.
The class was fertile ground for new ideas.
Many angry people can be fertile ground for protest.
The city is fertile ground for new businesses.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes think "fertile ground" must be used only with positive things, but it is very common with negative things such as "crime", "hate", or "rumors".
Meaning
Having conditions that encourage growth
Collocations
fertile ground for
|fertile breeding ground for
|fertile environment for
|fertile area for discussion
|fertile conditions for change
Synonyms
conducive (More formal; commonly used in written English to mean "helping something to happen".)
|
favorable (Focuses on conditions that are good for something to develop or succeed.)
Antonyms
hostile (Describes conditions that actively work against the development of something.)
|
unfavorable (States that conditions are not good for something to happen or grow.)
Themes
society
|abstract
|politics
|core_vocabulary
Definition
Describing a situation that makes it easy for something to grow or happen, often something bad or a new idea.
Describing a situation, environment, or set of conditions that strongly encourages the growth or development of something, often something abstract or negative.
C1
TECHNICAL
5
életképes
B2
csíraképes
C1
Usage pattern:
[egg/seed/spore] is fertile
Only the fertile eggs were placed in the incubator.
Csak az életképes tojásokat tették a keltetőbe.
The researcher separated fertile seeds from empty ones using a light test.
A kutató fényteszttel választotta el az életképes magokat az üresektől.
Fertile spores can remain dormant for years before growing.
Farmers pay more for guaranteed fertile seeds.
The experiment required a steady supply of fertile embryos.
Learner examples
A fertile egg can grow into a chick.
Egy életképes tojásból csibe fejlődhet.
The farmer checks which seeds are fertile.
A gazda ellenőrzi, mely magok csíraképesek.
Only fertile seeds will grow into plants.
The scientist needs fertile eggs for the study.
These spores are fertile and can start new plants.
Meaning
Egg or seed able to develop
Collocations
fertile egg
|fertile seeds
|fertile spores
|fertile embryos
|test for fertile eggs
Synonyms
viable (Technical; stresses that the egg or seed can stay alive and develop successfully.)
Antonyms
infertile (Standard scientific opposite, meaning unable to develop into a new organism.)
|
non-viable (Technical; stresses that development is not possible or will not continue.)
Themes
biology
|science
|nature
Definition
Describing an egg or seed that can grow into a baby animal or a new plant.
Describing an egg, seed, or spore that has the capacity to develop into a new organism under suitable conditions.
B2
6
Usage pattern:
[time/period/days] are fertile
Many apps help women track their most fertile days.
Sok alkalmazás segít a nőknek nyomon követni a legtermékenyebb napjaikat.
She scheduled the treatment to match her fertile period.
Úgy időzítette a kezelést, hogy egybeessen a termékeny időszakával.
During the fertile window, chances of pregnancy are highest.
Couples trying to conceive often focus on the woman's fertile days.
Stress can sometimes affect how long a woman's fertile period lasts.
Learner examples
She knows her fertile days and writes them in a calendar.
Ismeri a termékeny napjait, és beírja őket a naptárba.
During her fertile period, she can get pregnant more easily.
A termékeny időszakában könnyebben teherbe eshet.
The doctor explained when she is most fertile each month.
They are trying for a baby, so they watch her fertile window.
Some women use an app to find their fertile days.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes say "fertile time" without context. It is more natural to say "fertile days", "fertile period", or "fertile window" when talking about the menstrual cycle.
Meaning
Time when pregnancy is most likely
Collocations
fertile period
|fertile days
|fertile window
|most fertile
|track fertile days
Synonyms
ovulatory (Medical and technical; directly refers to the time of ovulation.)
Antonyms
infertile days (Informal medical phrase meaning days when pregnancy is very unlikely.)
Themes
health
|family
|body
|time
Definition
Describing the days in a woman's monthly cycle when she can most easily get pregnant.
Describing the days or period in a woman's menstrual cycle when she is most likely to become pregnant if she has sex.
C2
TECHNICAL
7
termékeny
C2
tenyészanyag
C2
Usage pattern:
[material/isotope] is fertile
Uranium-238 is a fertile material that can be converted into plutonium-239.
Az urán-238 olyan tenyészanyag, amely plutónium-239-cé alakítható.
The reactor design includes a fertile blanket to breed additional fuel.
A reaktorterv tenyészanyagból álló köpenyt is tartalmaz, amely további üzemanyag előállítására szolgál.
Thorium-232 is being studied as an alternative fertile isotope for future reactors.
Engineers must balance the amount of fissile and fertile material in the core.
The fertile layer surrounding the core increases overall fuel efficiency.
Learner examples
Uranium-238 is called a fertile material in nuclear science.
Az urán-238-at a nukleáris tudományban termékeny anyagnak, vagyis tenyészanyagnak nevezik.
A fertile isotope can change into a fissile one.
A termékeny izotóp hasadó izotóppá alakulhat.
Some reactors use thorium as a fertile material.
The fertile blanket in the reactor makes more fuel.
Fertile nuclear materials help produce new reactor fuel.
Meaning
Nuclear material convertible to fissile fuel
Collocations
fertile material
|fertile isotope
|fertile blanket
|fertile uranium
|fertile thorium
Synonyms
convertible (to fissile) (Describes the ability to be changed into fissile material; used in technical nuclear engineering contexts.)
Antonyms
fissile (In nuclear physics, fissile materials can sustain a chain reaction directly, unlike fertile materials.)
Themes
science
|technology
Definition
Describing a type of nuclear material that cannot be used as fuel by itself, but can change into fuel when it is hit by neutrons.
Describing a nuclear isotope that is not itself fissile but can be transformed into a fissile isotope by neutron irradiation.
Grammar
Dictionary form
fertile
IPA
GB/fˈɚtəl/
US/fˈɚtəl/
Syllables & stress
fer - tile (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (fer)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: fertile
Word family
Core family
Related words
fertilization
noun
Negative and opposite forms
infertile
adjective
infertility
noun
Expressions
a fertile breeding ground for
1/ə fˈɚtəl bɹˈidɪŋ ɡɹˈaʊnd fɚ/
idiom
Ideal environment for something to spread
A place or situation where something, usually something bad, can easily start and grow stronger.
Examples
- Poor housing and weak laws created a fertile breeding ground for crime.
- The online forum became a fertile breeding ground for hate speech.
- Overcrowded classrooms can be a fertile breeding ground for bullying.
a fertile imagination
1/ə fˈɚtəl ɪmˌæd͡ʒɪnˈeɪʃən/
fixed phrase
Very active and creative imagination
An imagination that can easily create many pictures, stories, or ideas, sometimes making things seem bigger or stranger than they are.
Examples
- Children often have a fertile imagination and can turn a box into a castle.
- He blamed his fears on his fertile imagination.
- Her fertile imagination helped her become a successful novelist.
fertile ground for
1/fˈɚtəl ɡɹˈaʊnd fɚ/
idiom
Conditions that encourage something to grow
A situation or place where something, often an idea or a problem, can grow or spread very easily.
Examples
- The lack of jobs is fertile ground for political anger.
- Social media has become fertile ground for misinformation.
- Good schools and cheap office space make this city fertile ground for start-ups.