infertile

adjective

(ˈ)in-ˈfər-tᵊl How to pronounce infertile (audio)
Definition of infertilenext
1
as in sterile
not able to produce fruit or offspring an infertile cow is of limited use to a farmer

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in barren
producing inferior or only a small amount of vegetation only parched, infertile fields remained after months of drought

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of infertile In the year 2027 (which is somehow just one year from now, please stop, passage of time), Children of Men imagines a world where women have been infertile for years, dooming humanity to a slow extinction. — Grace Dean, Space.com, 2 May 2026 Before Lydia can go full Karen, revolutionaries raid the school and cart off the women to a stadium, where the unmarried and infertile are held prisoner in the bleachers. — Judy Berman, Time, 29 Apr. 2026 Quinoa grows even in lean, infertile soil and usually doesn't need additional fertilizer in most areas. — Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 Apr. 2026 The American Society for Reproductive Medicine has stated that ovarian reserve markers shouldn’t serve as a fertility test for women who aren’t infertile or whose fertility hasn’t been evaluated. — Allison Palmer, Sacbee.com, 6 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for infertile
Recent Examples of Synonyms for infertile
  1. sterile
  2. barren
  3. desolate
  4. impoverished
  5. poor
  6. unfertile
Adjective
  • The brand’s Krossa desk scratches the itch for office furniture that isn’t sterile or corporate-looking.
    — Audrey Lee, Architectural Digest, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Matching furniture sets may feel cookie-cutter and sterile, instead of warm.
    — Shagun Khare, The Spruce, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of sterile
Adjective
  • Supposedly posing a threat to their idyll on the outskirts are various marauding splinter groups running amok through the barren wasteland of the American Mountain West.
    — Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Blackburn Rovers, Middlesbrough, Swansea City and Birmingham City, all now Championship clubs, have won silverware during Everton’s three barren decades.
    — Patrick Boyland, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of barren
Adjective
  • Exploring Indonesia—an archipelago of more than 17,000 islands—over more than a decade has led me to some truly jaw-dropping beaches, some gloriously desolate, others vibrantly alive with international travelers, expats, and locals.
    — Kathryn Romeyn, Travel + Leisure, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Noisemaker feels a genuine kinship with the Gallico story, including its setting, a desolate stretch of coastline in eastern England.
    — Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 23 Aug. 2026
Definition of desolate
Adjective
  • But perhaps the most impressive thing the seemingly tireless Parton did during her 80 years was donate much of her wealth to impoverished communities.
    — Donna Vickroy, Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2026
  • The loosened restrictions will not empower Washington to pursue investment and economic cooperation with al Sharaa’s government, which could transform the impoverished country.
    — Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of impoverished
Adjective
  • Dozens of companies have withdrawn over the past decades due to poor profits, an uncertain business outlook and concerns about harm to their reputations from making arms, especially lethal weapons.
    — Mia Osmonbekov, Fortune, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Along the way, the audience can expect tons of humiliation, terrible second prizes, and the guarantee that Robertson will turn at least one poor soul's wrong turn into several minutes of unhinged public destruction.
    — Rebecca Rosman, NPR, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of poor
Adjective
  • Movies based on videogames, once unfertile IP for Hollywood at the box office, have blossomed in recent years.
    — Anthony D'Alessandro, Deadline, 9 June 2025
Definition of unfertile

Browse Nearby Words

infers
infertile
infertility
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Cite this Entry

“Infertile.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/infertile. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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