Words / B1

FURT-yl/ˈfɜːtaɪl/

Fertile means able to produce good crops or many ideas: fertile soil; a fertile mind; fertile ground for debate. Fertility is the noun. Barren is a literary opposite for land. Do not call a person fertile in a casual workplace comment — it is personal and medical. Geography and farming texts use fertile land.

Meaning

Able to produce good crops or many ideas; of soil, rich.

Examples

• “The valley has fertile land, which is why farming still pays.”
• “The scandal proved fertile ground for conspiracy theories, which is the metaphor.”

Good to know

fertile soil / land / imagination. Noun: fertility. Metaphor: fertile ground for. Opposite (land): barren. Avoid personal comments.

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