fertile
gb/fˈɚtəl/ us/fˈɚtəl/
B1
Anglais
~ 5200
Sens
0 sens
adjective
B1
property
1
Land that produces many crops
Describing land or soil where many plants can grow well.
Schéma d’usage :
[land/soil/area] is fertile
Erreur fréquente :
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.
Synonymes
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.)
Antonymes
barren (Emphasizes land where almost nothing can grow.)
|
infertile (More technical or scientific; simply states that the soil cannot produce much growth.)
Collocations
fertile soil
|fertile land
|fertile ground
|fertile valley
|highly fertile
|rich and fertile
Thèmes
nature
|agriculture
|science
|food_drink
Exemples
- The river floods every year, leaving behind incredibly fertile soil.
- Farmers moved to the valley because its fertile land promised better harvests.
- 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.
Exemples pédagogiques
- The soil in this garden is very fertile.
- Many farmers need fertile land to grow food.
- Trees grow fast in this fertile valley.
- We bought a house next to fertile fields.
- Fertile ground helps plants become strong.
adjective
B1
property
2
Able to have babies or offspring
Describing a person, animal, or plant that can have babies or new young.
Schéma d’usage :
[someone/something] is fertile
Erreur fréquente :
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.
Synonymes
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.)
Antonymes
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.)
Collocations
fertile woman
|fertile man
|fertile couple
|fertile age
|highly fertile
|remain fertile
Thèmes
health
|biology
|family
|animals
Exemples
- Many couples seek medical help when they discover that only one partner is fertile.
- Women are usually most fertile in their twenties.
- 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.
Exemples pédagogiques
- The doctor said the couple is very fertile.
- She wants to have children while she is still fertile.
- 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.
adjective
B2
property
3
Very creative and full of ideas
Describing a person who can think of many new and interesting ideas.
Schéma d’usage :
[someone] has a fertile imagination/mind
Erreur fréquente :
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.
Synonymes
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.)
Antonymes
unimaginative (Suggests lacking new or original ideas, the opposite of a fertile imagination.)
|
dull (Informal; suggests boring and not creative.)
Collocations
fertile imagination
|fertile mind
|fertile source of ideas
|fertile area for research
|fertile creative period
Thèmes
thinking
|creativity
|work
|arts_entertainment
|education
Exemples
- With such a fertile imagination, she could turn any small event into a fascinating story.
- The director's fertile mind completely changed the way people saw the play.
- 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.
Exemples pédagogiques
- The writer has a very fertile imagination.
- Children often have fertile minds.
- 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.
adjective
B2
property
4
Having conditions that encourage growth
Describing a situation that makes it easy for something to grow or happen, often something bad or a new idea.
Schéma d’usage :
[situation/place] is fertile ground for [something]
Erreur fréquente :
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".
Synonymes
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.)
Antonymes
hostile (Describes conditions that actively work against the development of something.)
|
unfavorable (States that conditions are not good for something to happen or grow.)
Collocations
fertile ground for
|fertile breeding ground for
|fertile environment for
|fertile area for discussion
|fertile conditions for change
Thèmes
society
|abstract
|politics
|core_vocabulary
Exemples
- High youth unemployment created fertile ground for political unrest.
- The internet has become fertile soil for conspiracy theories.
- 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.
Exemples pédagogiques
- Cheap phones and fast internet are fertile ground for social media.
- A weak law can be fertile ground for corruption.
- 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.
adjective
technical
C1
property
5
Egg or seed able to develop
Describing an egg or seed that can grow into a baby animal or a new plant.
Schéma d’usage :
[egg/seed/spore] is fertile
Synonymes
viable (Technical; stresses that the egg or seed can stay alive and develop successfully.)
Antonymes
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.)
Collocations
fertile egg
|fertile seeds
|fertile spores
|fertile embryos
|test for fertile eggs
Thèmes
biology
|science
|nature
Exemples
- Only the fertile eggs were placed in the incubator.
- The researcher separated fertile seeds from empty ones using a light test.
- 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.
Exemples pédagogiques
- A fertile egg can grow into a chick.
- The farmer checks which seeds are fertile.
- Only fertile seeds will grow into plants.
- The scientist needs fertile eggs for the study.
- These spores are fertile and can start new plants.
adjective
B2
property
6
Time when pregnancy is most likely
Describing the days in a woman's monthly cycle when she can most easily get pregnant.
Schéma d’usage :
[time/period/days] are fertile
Erreur fréquente :
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.
Synonymes
ovulatory (Medical and technical; directly refers to the time of ovulation.)
Antonymes
infertile days (Informal medical phrase meaning days when pregnancy is very unlikely.)
Collocations
fertile period
|fertile days
|fertile window
|most fertile
|track fertile days
Thèmes
health
|family
|body
|time
Exemples
- Many apps help women track their most fertile days.
- She scheduled the treatment to match her fertile period.
- 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.
Exemples pédagogiques
- She knows her fertile days and writes them in a calendar.
- During her fertile period, she can get pregnant more easily.
- 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.
adjective
technical
C2
property
7
Nuclear material convertible to fissile fuel
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.
Schéma d’usage :
[material/isotope] is fertile
Synonymes
convertible (to fissile) (Describes the ability to be changed into fissile material; used in technical nuclear engineering contexts.)
Antonymes
fissile (In nuclear physics, fissile materials can sustain a chain reaction directly, unlike fertile materials.)
Collocations
fertile material
|fertile isotope
|fertile blanket
|fertile uranium
|fertile thorium
Thèmes
science
|technology
Exemples
- Uranium-238 is a fertile material that can be converted into plutonium-239.
- The reactor design includes a fertile blanket to breed additional fuel.
- 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.
Exemples pédagogiques
- Uranium-238 is called a fertile material in nuclear science.
- A fertile isotope can change into a fissile one.
- 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.
Grammaire
Forme canonique
fertile
API
GB/fˈɚtəl/
US/fˈɚtəl/
Syllabes et accentuation
fer - tile (2 syllabes)
Stress on 1st syllable (fer)
Formes du mot
Adjective
- Base: fertile
Famille de mots
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.
Exemples
- 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.
Exemples
- 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.
Exemples
- 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.