"fruitless" meaning in English

See fruitless in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Adjective

IPA: /ˈfɹuːtləs/ [Received-Pronunciation], /ˈfɹutləs/ [Received-Pronunciation] Audio: en-au-fruitless.ogg [Australia] Forms: more fruitless [comparative], most fruitless [superlative]
Etymology: Inherited from Middle English fruytles; equivalent to fruit + -less. Compare Middle English withouten fruyt (“fruitless”, literally “without fruit”). Etymology templates: {{glossary|Inherited}} Inherited, {{inh|en|enm|fruytles|||g=|g2=|g3=|id=|lit=|nocat=|pos=|sc=|sort=|tr=|ts=}} Middle English fruytles, {{inh+|en|enm|fruytles}} Inherited from Middle English fruytles, {{suffix|en|fruit|less}} fruit + -less, {{noncog|enm|withouten fruyt|lit=without fruit|t=fruitless}} Middle English withouten fruyt (“fruitless”, literally “without fruit”) Head templates: {{en-adj}} fruitless (comparative more fruitless, superlative most fruitless)
  1. Bearing no fruit; barren. Translations (bearing no fruit; barren): ἄκαρπος (ákarpos) (Ancient Greek), չբեր (čʿber) [colloquial] (Armenian), barsız (Azerbaijani), meyvəsiz (Azerbaijani), məhsulsuz (Azerbaijani), безплоден (bezploden) (Bulgarian), ялов (jalov) (Bulgarian), onvruchtbaar (Dutch), senfrukta (Esperanto), viljatu (Estonian), hedelmätön (Finnish), abortif [masculine] (French), abortive [feminine] (French), erntelos (German), άκαρπος (ákarpos) [masculine] (Greek), ακάρπιστος (akárpistos) [masculine] (Greek), ακαρποφόρητος (akarpofóritos) [masculine] (Greek), sterile (Italian), fruytles (Middle English), fruchtlooss (Plautdietsch), беспло́дный (besplódnyj) (Russian), bèsplodan (Serbo-Croatian), бѐсплодан (Serbo-Croatian), fruktlös (Swedish)
    Sense id: en-fruitless-en-adj-KTMAqXzV Disambiguation of 'bearing no fruit; barren': 89 1 7 3
  2. (figuratively) Unproductive, useless. Tags: figuratively Translations (unproductive; useless): ἄκαρπος (ákarpos) (Ancient Greek), ᾱ̓ργός (ārgós) (Ancient Greek), ἐτώσιος (etṓsios) (Ancient Greek), κενός (kenós) (Ancient Greek), ἅλιος (hálios) [Epic] (Ancient Greek), عَقِيم (ʕaqīm) (Arabic), ամուլ (amul) (Armenian), ստերջ (sterǰ) (Armenian), զուր (zur) (Armenian), barsız (Azerbaijani), faydasız (Azerbaijani), xeyirsiz (Azerbaijani), безплоден (bezploden) (Bulgarian), безполезен (bezpolezen) (Bulgarian), infructuós (Catalan), 枉然 (wǎngrán) (Chinese Mandarin), vruchteloos (Dutch), vergeefs (Dutch), senfrukta (Esperanto), sterila (Esperanto), vana (Esperanto), viljatu (Estonian), hyödytön (Finnish), turha (Finnish), vain (French), უნაყოფო (unaq̇opo) (Georgian), fruchtlos (German), unfruchtbar (German), ergebnislos (German), resultatlos (German), unerquicklich (German), unersprießlich (German), άκαρπος (ákarpos) [masculine] (Greek), άκαρπη (ákarpi) [feminine] (Greek), άκαρπο (ákarpo) [neuter] (Greek), ατελέσφορος (atelésforos) [masculine] (Greek), ατελέσφορη (atelésfori) [feminine] (Greek), ατελέσφορο (atelésforo) [neuter] (Greek), असफल (asphal) (Hindi), निष्फल (niṣphal) (Hindi), विफल (viphal) (Hindi), infruttuoso [masculine] (Italian), infruttuosa [feminine] (Italian), casso [masculine] (Italian), cassa [feminine, obsolete] (Italian), 不毛 (fumō) (alt: ふもう) (Japanese), 헛되다 (heotdoeda) (Korean), cassus [masculine] (Latin), cassa [feminine] (Latin), cassum [neuter] (Latin), tùščias [masculine] (Lithuanian), tuščià [feminine] (Lithuanian), бесплоден (besploden) (Macedonian), fruytles (Middle English), verdiløs (Norwegian Bokmål), verdilaus (Norwegian Bokmål), verdilaus (Norwegian Nynorsk), بیثمر (bi-samar) (Persian), fruchtlooss (Plautdietsch), bezowocny [masculine] (Polish), próżny [masculine] (Polish), bezpłodny (Polish), infrutífero [masculine] (Portuguese), infrutífera [feminine] (Portuguese), nefructuos (Romanian), neproductiv (Romanian), zadarnic [masculine, neuter] (Romanian), zadarnică [feminine] (Romanian), беспло́дный (besplódnyj) (Russian), бесполе́зный (bespoléznyj) (Russian), тще́тный (tščétnyj) (Russian), विफल (viphala) (Sanskrit), मोघ (mogha) (Sanskrit), mì-tharbhach (Scottish Gaelic), bèsplodan (Serbo-Croatian), бѐсплодан (Serbo-Croatian), infructuoso (Spanish), estéril (Spanish), fruktlös (Swedish), నిష్ఫలము (niṣphalamu) (Telugu), విఫలము (viphalamu) (Telugu), หมัน (mǎn) (Thai)
    Sense id: en-fruitless-en-adj-oyldHX2G Disambiguation of 'unproductive; useless': 1 98 1 0
  3. (figuratively, archaic) Of a person: unable to have children; barren, infertile. Tags: archaic, figuratively Categories (lifeform): Fruits Translations (unable to have children — see also infertile): barsız (Azerbaijani), sonsuz (Azerbaijani), onvruchtbaar (Dutch), senfrukta (Esperanto), sterila (Esperanto), malfekunda (Esperanto), viljatu (Estonian), unfruchtbar (German), άκαρπος (ákarpos) [masculine] (Greek), άκαρπη (ákarpi) [feminine] (Greek), άκαρπο (ákarpo) [neuter] (Greek), terméketlen (Hungarian), meddő (Hungarian), អារ (ʼaa) (Khmer), ofruktsam (Swedish), หมัน (mǎn) (Thai)
    Sense id: en-fruitless-en-adj-eEZaL2KJ Disambiguation of Fruits: 21 5 49 24 Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header, English entries with topic categories using raw markup, English terms suffixed with -less, English terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys, Pages with raw sortkeys Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 3 5 80 12 Disambiguation of English entries with topic categories using raw markup: 3 6 79 13 Disambiguation of English terms suffixed with -less: 7 5 62 27 Disambiguation of English terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys: 3 4 83 10 Disambiguation of Pages with raw sortkeys: 5 7 74 14 Disambiguation of 'unable to have children — see also infertile': 3 2 91 4
  4. (rare) Of a diet, etc.: without fruit. Tags: rare
    Sense id: en-fruitless-en-adj-5vDr4IEa
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Synonyms: fruitlesse [obsolete], futile Derived forms: fruitlessly, fruitlessness

Alternative forms

Download JSON data for fruitless meaning in English (24.3kB)

{
  "antonyms": [
    {
      "word": "fruitful"
    },
    {
      "sense": "antonym(s) of \"unproductive\"",
      "word": "effective"
    },
    {
      "sense": "antonym(s) of \"unproductive\"",
      "word": "efficacious"
    },
    {
      "sense": "antonym(s) of \"unproductive\"",
      "word": "productive"
    },
    {
      "sense": "antonym(s) of \"unproductive\"",
      "word": "useful"
    }
  ],
  "derived": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0",
      "word": "fruitlessly"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0",
      "word": "fruitlessness"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "Inherited"
      },
      "expansion": "Inherited",
      "name": "glossary"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "fruytles",
        "4": "",
        "5": "",
        "g": "",
        "g2": "",
        "g3": "",
        "id": "",
        "lit": "",
        "nocat": "",
        "pos": "",
        "sc": "",
        "sort": "",
        "tr": "",
        "ts": ""
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English fruytles",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "fruytles"
      },
      "expansion": "Inherited from Middle English fruytles",
      "name": "inh+"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "fruit",
        "3": "less"
      },
      "expansion": "fruit + -less",
      "name": "suffix"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "withouten fruyt",
        "lit": "without fruit",
        "t": "fruitless"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English withouten fruyt (“fruitless”, literally “without fruit”)",
      "name": "noncog"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "Inherited from Middle English fruytles; equivalent to fruit + -less. Compare Middle English withouten fruyt (“fruitless”, literally “without fruit”).",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "more fruitless",
      "tags": [
        "comparative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "most fruitless",
      "tags": [
        "superlative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "fruitless (comparative more fruitless, superlative most fruitless)",
      "name": "en-adj"
    }
  ],
  "hyphenation": [
    "fruit‧less"
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "adj",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "2008, Rowan Jacobsen, “Breakfast in America”, in Fruitless Fall: The Collapse of the Honey Bee and the Coming Agricultural Crisis, New York, N.Y.: Bloomsbury USA, page 20",
          "text": "[S]he [Rachel Carson] also warned of falls in which \"there was no pollination and there would be no fruit.\" […] The entomologist Stephen L. Buchmann and the crop ecologist Gary Paul Nabhan amplified Carson's warning in their 1996 book, The Forgotten Pollinators. They predicted fruitless falls unless our land-use patterns changed fast. But few people paid attention.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Bearing no fruit; barren."
      ],
      "id": "en-fruitless-en-adj-KTMAqXzV",
      "links": [
        [
          "Bearing",
          "bear#Verb"
        ],
        [
          "fruit",
          "fruit#Noun"
        ],
        [
          "barren",
          "barren"
        ]
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "89 1 7 3",
          "code": "hy",
          "lang": "Armenian",
          "roman": "čʿber",
          "sense": "bearing no fruit; barren",
          "tags": [
            "colloquial"
          ],
          "word": "չբեր"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "89 1 7 3",
          "code": "az",
          "lang": "Azerbaijani",
          "sense": "bearing no fruit; barren",
          "word": "barsız"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "89 1 7 3",
          "code": "az",
          "lang": "Azerbaijani",
          "sense": "bearing no fruit; barren",
          "word": "meyvəsiz"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "89 1 7 3",
          "code": "az",
          "lang": "Azerbaijani",
          "sense": "bearing no fruit; barren",
          "word": "məhsulsuz"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "89 1 7 3",
          "code": "bg",
          "lang": "Bulgarian",
          "roman": "bezploden",
          "sense": "bearing no fruit; barren",
          "word": "безплоден"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "89 1 7 3",
          "code": "bg",
          "lang": "Bulgarian",
          "roman": "jalov",
          "sense": "bearing no fruit; barren",
          "word": "ялов"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "89 1 7 3",
          "code": "nl",
          "lang": "Dutch",
          "sense": "bearing no fruit; barren",
          "word": "onvruchtbaar"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "89 1 7 3",
          "code": "eo",
          "lang": "Esperanto",
          "sense": "bearing no fruit; barren",
          "word": "senfrukta"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "89 1 7 3",
          "code": "et",
          "lang": "Estonian",
          "sense": "bearing no fruit; barren",
          "word": "viljatu"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "89 1 7 3",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "bearing no fruit; barren",
          "word": "hedelmätön"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "89 1 7 3",
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "bearing no fruit; barren",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "abortif"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "89 1 7 3",
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "bearing no fruit; barren",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "abortive"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "89 1 7 3",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "bearing no fruit; barren",
          "word": "erntelos"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "89 1 7 3",
          "code": "el",
          "lang": "Greek",
          "roman": "ákarpos",
          "sense": "bearing no fruit; barren",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "άκαρπος"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "89 1 7 3",
          "code": "el",
          "lang": "Greek",
          "roman": "akárpistos",
          "sense": "bearing no fruit; barren",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "ακάρπιστος"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "89 1 7 3",
          "code": "el",
          "lang": "Greek",
          "roman": "akarpofóritos",
          "sense": "bearing no fruit; barren",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "ακαρποφόρητος"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "89 1 7 3",
          "code": "grc",
          "lang": "Ancient Greek",
          "roman": "ákarpos",
          "sense": "bearing no fruit; barren",
          "word": "ἄκαρπος"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "89 1 7 3",
          "code": "it",
          "lang": "Italian",
          "sense": "bearing no fruit; barren",
          "word": "sterile"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "89 1 7 3",
          "code": "enm",
          "lang": "Middle English",
          "sense": "bearing no fruit; barren",
          "word": "fruytles"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "89 1 7 3",
          "code": "pdt",
          "lang": "Plautdietsch",
          "sense": "bearing no fruit; barren",
          "word": "fruchtlooss"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "89 1 7 3",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "besplódnyj",
          "sense": "bearing no fruit; barren",
          "word": "беспло́дный"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "89 1 7 3",
          "code": "sh",
          "lang": "Serbo-Croatian",
          "sense": "bearing no fruit; barren",
          "word": "bèsplodan"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "89 1 7 3",
          "code": "sh",
          "lang": "Serbo-Croatian",
          "sense": "bearing no fruit; barren",
          "word": "бѐсплодан"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "89 1 7 3",
          "code": "sv",
          "lang": "Swedish",
          "sense": "bearing no fruit; barren",
          "word": "fruktlös"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "The unskilled man’s attempt at fixing his car engine was fruitless.",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1634, Iohn Downame [i.e., John Downame], “How We Must Arme Our Selues against Satans Tentations, whereby Hee Laboureth to Makefruitless the Word of God Fruitlesse”, in The Christian Warfare against the Deuill[,] World and Flesh: […], 4th corrected and enlarged edition, London: Printed by William Stansby [for Philemon Stephens and Christopher Meredith], →OCLC, page 181, column 1",
          "text": "[I]f we preſent our ſelues, raſhly and vnaduiſedly, as if we went to a play, or to diſpatch ſome worldly buſineſſe; wee ſhall hardly keepe our minds from negligent wandring and worldly diſtractions, which will make the Word of God fruitleſſe and vnprofitable.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1762, John Bunyan, “Luke xiii. Ver. 8, 9.”, in The Barren Fig-tree: Or, The Doom and Downfall of the Fruitless Professor. […], London: Printed for W. Johnston, […], →OCLC, doctrine II, page 93",
          "text": "[W]hatever Preparations ſoever are made for the Salvation of Sinners, and of how long ſoever they are, yet the God-tempting, God-provoking, and fruitleſs Profeſſor is like to go without a Share therein: […]",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1820 July 31, The Times, number 10,999, London, page 2, column 5",
          "text": "We wish to speak temperately of what assumes a Russian dress and name, under the auspices of the Emperor Alexander; but we rejoice that the overbearing doctrines of his Minister failed to abash or intimidate the Neapolitans; and we do trust, from the bottom of our souls, that, as they did not avert the revolution of Naples, so they will be fruitless to check the course of that noble regeneration of which they could not debar the virtuous and long-suffering Spaniards, or impair those vast blessings with which it is pregnant to the civilized world.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1861 April 23, Thomas Ballard, “Reports of Societies. Royal Medical and Chirurgical Society. [A Previously Unobserved Preventable Cause of Idiocy, Imbecility, and the Allied Affections.]”, in The Medical Times and Gazette. A Journal of Medical Science, Literature, Criticism, and News, volume I, number 567, London: Printed for John Churchill, […], published 11 May 1861, →OCLC, page 506",
          "text": "A large majority of them bear evidence of long-continued habits of fruitless sucking in the deformity of the jaws, which is caused by some portion of the hand being placed in the mouth for the purpose of sucking it at a period of life when the bones were soft enough to yield to its pressure.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Unproductive, useless."
      ],
      "id": "en-fruitless-en-adj-oyldHX2G",
      "links": [
        [
          "Unproductive",
          "unproductive"
        ],
        [
          "useless",
          "useless"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(figuratively) Unproductive, useless."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "figuratively"
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "1 98 1 0",
          "code": "ar",
          "lang": "Arabic",
          "roman": "ʕaqīm",
          "sense": "unproductive; useless",
          "word": "عَقِيم"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 98 1 0",
          "code": "hy",
          "lang": "Armenian",
          "roman": "amul",
          "sense": "unproductive; useless",
          "word": "ամուլ"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 98 1 0",
          "code": "hy",
          "lang": "Armenian",
          "roman": "sterǰ",
          "sense": "unproductive; useless",
          "word": "ստերջ"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 98 1 0",
          "code": "hy",
          "lang": "Armenian",
          "roman": "zur",
          "sense": "unproductive; useless",
          "word": "զուր"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 98 1 0",
          "code": "az",
          "lang": "Azerbaijani",
          "sense": "unproductive; useless",
          "word": "barsız"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 98 1 0",
          "code": "az",
          "lang": "Azerbaijani",
          "sense": "unproductive; useless",
          "word": "faydasız"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 98 1 0",
          "code": "az",
          "lang": "Azerbaijani",
          "sense": "unproductive; useless",
          "word": "xeyirsiz"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 98 1 0",
          "code": "bg",
          "lang": "Bulgarian",
          "roman": "bezploden",
          "sense": "unproductive; useless",
          "word": "безплоден"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 98 1 0",
          "code": "bg",
          "lang": "Bulgarian",
          "roman": "bezpolezen",
          "sense": "unproductive; useless",
          "word": "безполезен"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 98 1 0",
          "code": "ca",
          "lang": "Catalan",
          "sense": "unproductive; useless",
          "word": "infructuós"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 98 1 0",
          "code": "cmn",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "roman": "wǎngrán",
          "sense": "unproductive; useless",
          "word": "枉然"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 98 1 0",
          "code": "nl",
          "lang": "Dutch",
          "sense": "unproductive; useless",
          "word": "vruchteloos"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 98 1 0",
          "code": "nl",
          "lang": "Dutch",
          "sense": "unproductive; useless",
          "word": "vergeefs"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 98 1 0",
          "code": "eo",
          "lang": "Esperanto",
          "sense": "unproductive; useless",
          "word": "senfrukta"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 98 1 0",
          "code": "eo",
          "lang": "Esperanto",
          "sense": "unproductive; useless",
          "word": "sterila"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 98 1 0",
          "code": "eo",
          "lang": "Esperanto",
          "sense": "unproductive; useless",
          "word": "vana"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 98 1 0",
          "code": "et",
          "lang": "Estonian",
          "sense": "unproductive; useless",
          "word": "viljatu"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 98 1 0",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "unproductive; useless",
          "word": "hyödytön"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 98 1 0",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "unproductive; useless",
          "word": "turha"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 98 1 0",
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "unproductive; useless",
          "word": "vain"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 98 1 0",
          "code": "ka",
          "lang": "Georgian",
          "roman": "unaq̇opo",
          "sense": "unproductive; useless",
          "word": "უნაყოფო"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 98 1 0",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "unproductive; useless",
          "word": "fruchtlos"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 98 1 0",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "unproductive; useless",
          "word": "unfruchtbar"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 98 1 0",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "unproductive; useless",
          "word": "ergebnislos"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 98 1 0",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "unproductive; useless",
          "word": "resultatlos"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 98 1 0",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "unproductive; useless",
          "word": "unerquicklich"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 98 1 0",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "unproductive; useless",
          "word": "unersprießlich"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 98 1 0",
          "code": "el",
          "lang": "Greek",
          "roman": "ákarpos",
          "sense": "unproductive; useless",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "άκαρπος"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 98 1 0",
          "code": "el",
          "lang": "Greek",
          "roman": "ákarpi",
          "sense": "unproductive; useless",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "άκαρπη"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 98 1 0",
          "code": "el",
          "lang": "Greek",
          "roman": "ákarpo",
          "sense": "unproductive; useless",
          "tags": [
            "neuter"
          ],
          "word": "άκαρπο"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 98 1 0",
          "code": "el",
          "lang": "Greek",
          "roman": "atelésforos",
          "sense": "unproductive; useless",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "ατελέσφορος"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 98 1 0",
          "code": "el",
          "lang": "Greek",
          "roman": "atelésfori",
          "sense": "unproductive; useless",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "ατελέσφορη"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 98 1 0",
          "code": "el",
          "lang": "Greek",
          "roman": "atelésforo",
          "sense": "unproductive; useless",
          "tags": [
            "neuter"
          ],
          "word": "ατελέσφορο"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 98 1 0",
          "code": "grc",
          "lang": "Ancient Greek",
          "roman": "ákarpos",
          "sense": "unproductive; useless",
          "word": "ἄκαρπος"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 98 1 0",
          "code": "grc",
          "lang": "Ancient Greek",
          "roman": "ārgós",
          "sense": "unproductive; useless",
          "word": "ᾱ̓ργός"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 98 1 0",
          "code": "grc",
          "lang": "Ancient Greek",
          "roman": "etṓsios",
          "sense": "unproductive; useless",
          "word": "ἐτώσιος"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 98 1 0",
          "code": "grc",
          "lang": "Ancient Greek",
          "roman": "kenós",
          "sense": "unproductive; useless",
          "word": "κενός"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 98 1 0",
          "code": "grc",
          "lang": "Ancient Greek",
          "roman": "hálios",
          "sense": "unproductive; useless",
          "tags": [
            "Epic"
          ],
          "word": "ἅλιος"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 98 1 0",
          "code": "hi",
          "lang": "Hindi",
          "roman": "asphal",
          "sense": "unproductive; useless",
          "word": "असफल"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 98 1 0",
          "code": "hi",
          "lang": "Hindi",
          "roman": "niṣphal",
          "sense": "unproductive; useless",
          "word": "निष्फल"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 98 1 0",
          "code": "hi",
          "lang": "Hindi",
          "roman": "viphal",
          "sense": "unproductive; useless",
          "word": "विफल"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 98 1 0",
          "code": "it",
          "lang": "Italian",
          "sense": "unproductive; useless",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "infruttuoso"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 98 1 0",
          "code": "it",
          "lang": "Italian",
          "sense": "unproductive; useless",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "infruttuosa"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 98 1 0",
          "code": "it",
          "lang": "Italian",
          "sense": "unproductive; useless",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "casso"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 98 1 0",
          "code": "it",
          "lang": "Italian",
          "sense": "unproductive; useless",
          "tags": [
            "feminine",
            "obsolete"
          ],
          "word": "cassa"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 98 1 0",
          "alt": "ふもう",
          "code": "ja",
          "lang": "Japanese",
          "roman": "fumō",
          "sense": "unproductive; useless",
          "word": "不毛"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 98 1 0",
          "code": "ko",
          "lang": "Korean",
          "roman": "heotdoeda",
          "sense": "unproductive; useless",
          "word": "헛되다"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 98 1 0",
          "code": "la",
          "lang": "Latin",
          "sense": "unproductive; useless",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "cassus"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 98 1 0",
          "code": "la",
          "lang": "Latin",
          "sense": "unproductive; useless",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "cassa"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 98 1 0",
          "code": "la",
          "lang": "Latin",
          "sense": "unproductive; useless",
          "tags": [
            "neuter"
          ],
          "word": "cassum"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 98 1 0",
          "code": "lt",
          "lang": "Lithuanian",
          "sense": "unproductive; useless",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "tùščias"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 98 1 0",
          "code": "lt",
          "lang": "Lithuanian",
          "sense": "unproductive; useless",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "tuščià"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 98 1 0",
          "code": "mk",
          "lang": "Macedonian",
          "roman": "besploden",
          "sense": "unproductive; useless",
          "word": "бесплоден"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 98 1 0",
          "code": "enm",
          "lang": "Middle English",
          "sense": "unproductive; useless",
          "word": "fruytles"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 98 1 0",
          "code": "no",
          "lang": "Norwegian Bokmål",
          "sense": "unproductive; useless",
          "word": "verdiløs"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 98 1 0",
          "code": "no",
          "lang": "Norwegian Bokmål",
          "sense": "unproductive; useless",
          "word": "verdilaus"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 98 1 0",
          "code": "nn",
          "lang": "Norwegian Nynorsk",
          "sense": "unproductive; useless",
          "word": "verdilaus"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 98 1 0",
          "code": "fa",
          "lang": "Persian",
          "roman": "bi-samar",
          "sense": "unproductive; useless",
          "word": "بیثمر"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 98 1 0",
          "code": "pdt",
          "lang": "Plautdietsch",
          "sense": "unproductive; useless",
          "word": "fruchtlooss"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 98 1 0",
          "code": "pl",
          "lang": "Polish",
          "sense": "unproductive; useless",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "bezowocny"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 98 1 0",
          "code": "pl",
          "lang": "Polish",
          "sense": "unproductive; useless",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "próżny"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 98 1 0",
          "code": "pl",
          "lang": "Polish",
          "sense": "unproductive; useless",
          "word": "bezpłodny"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 98 1 0",
          "code": "pt",
          "lang": "Portuguese",
          "sense": "unproductive; useless",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "infrutífero"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 98 1 0",
          "code": "pt",
          "lang": "Portuguese",
          "sense": "unproductive; useless",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "infrutífera"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 98 1 0",
          "code": "ro",
          "lang": "Romanian",
          "sense": "unproductive; useless",
          "word": "nefructuos"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 98 1 0",
          "code": "ro",
          "lang": "Romanian",
          "sense": "unproductive; useless",
          "word": "neproductiv"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 98 1 0",
          "code": "ro",
          "lang": "Romanian",
          "sense": "unproductive; useless",
          "tags": [
            "masculine",
            "neuter"
          ],
          "word": "zadarnic"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 98 1 0",
          "code": "ro",
          "lang": "Romanian",
          "sense": "unproductive; useless",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "zadarnică"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 98 1 0",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "besplódnyj",
          "sense": "unproductive; useless",
          "word": "беспло́дный"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 98 1 0",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "bespoléznyj",
          "sense": "unproductive; useless",
          "word": "бесполе́зный"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 98 1 0",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "tščétnyj",
          "sense": "unproductive; useless",
          "word": "тще́тный"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 98 1 0",
          "code": "sa",
          "lang": "Sanskrit",
          "roman": "viphala",
          "sense": "unproductive; useless",
          "word": "विफल"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 98 1 0",
          "code": "sa",
          "lang": "Sanskrit",
          "roman": "mogha",
          "sense": "unproductive; useless",
          "word": "मोघ"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 98 1 0",
          "code": "gd",
          "lang": "Scottish Gaelic",
          "sense": "unproductive; useless",
          "word": "mì-tharbhach"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 98 1 0",
          "code": "sh",
          "lang": "Serbo-Croatian",
          "sense": "unproductive; useless",
          "word": "bèsplodan"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 98 1 0",
          "code": "sh",
          "lang": "Serbo-Croatian",
          "sense": "unproductive; useless",
          "word": "бѐсплодан"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 98 1 0",
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "unproductive; useless",
          "word": "infructuoso"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 98 1 0",
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "unproductive; useless",
          "word": "estéril"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 98 1 0",
          "code": "sv",
          "lang": "Swedish",
          "sense": "unproductive; useless",
          "word": "fruktlös"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 98 1 0",
          "code": "te",
          "lang": "Telugu",
          "roman": "niṣphalamu",
          "sense": "unproductive; useless",
          "word": "నిష్ఫలము"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 98 1 0",
          "code": "te",
          "lang": "Telugu",
          "roman": "viphalamu",
          "sense": "unproductive; useless",
          "word": "విఫలము"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 98 1 0",
          "code": "th",
          "lang": "Thai",
          "roman": "mǎn",
          "sense": "unproductive; useless",
          "word": "หมัน"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "3 5 80 12",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "3 6 79 13",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with topic categories using raw markup",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with topic categories using raw markup",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "7 5 62 27",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English terms suffixed with -less",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "3 4 83 10",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys",
          "parents": [
            "Terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "5 7 74 14",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with raw sortkeys",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "21 5 49 24",
          "kind": "lifeform",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Fruits",
          "orig": "en:Fruits",
          "parents": [
            "Foods",
            "Plants",
            "Eating",
            "Food and drink",
            "Lifeforms",
            "Human behaviour",
            "All topics",
            "Life",
            "Human",
            "Fundamental",
            "Nature"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "The fruitless woman desperately wanted to have children.",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Of a person: unable to have children; barren, infertile."
      ],
      "id": "en-fruitless-en-adj-eEZaL2KJ",
      "links": [
        [
          "unable",
          "unable"
        ],
        [
          "child",
          "child"
        ],
        [
          "infertile",
          "infertile"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(figuratively, archaic) Of a person: unable to have children; barren, infertile."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "archaic",
        "figuratively"
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "3 2 91 4",
          "code": "az",
          "lang": "Azerbaijani",
          "sense": "unable to have children — see also infertile",
          "word": "barsız"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "3 2 91 4",
          "code": "az",
          "lang": "Azerbaijani",
          "sense": "unable to have children — see also infertile",
          "word": "sonsuz"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "3 2 91 4",
          "code": "nl",
          "lang": "Dutch",
          "sense": "unable to have children — see also infertile",
          "word": "onvruchtbaar"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "3 2 91 4",
          "code": "eo",
          "lang": "Esperanto",
          "sense": "unable to have children — see also infertile",
          "word": "senfrukta"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "3 2 91 4",
          "code": "eo",
          "lang": "Esperanto",
          "sense": "unable to have children — see also infertile",
          "word": "sterila"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "3 2 91 4",
          "code": "eo",
          "lang": "Esperanto",
          "sense": "unable to have children — see also infertile",
          "word": "malfekunda"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "3 2 91 4",
          "code": "et",
          "lang": "Estonian",
          "sense": "unable to have children — see also infertile",
          "word": "viljatu"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "3 2 91 4",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "unable to have children — see also infertile",
          "word": "unfruchtbar"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "3 2 91 4",
          "code": "el",
          "lang": "Greek",
          "roman": "ákarpos",
          "sense": "unable to have children — see also infertile",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "άκαρπος"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "3 2 91 4",
          "code": "el",
          "lang": "Greek",
          "roman": "ákarpi",
          "sense": "unable to have children — see also infertile",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "άκαρπη"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "3 2 91 4",
          "code": "el",
          "lang": "Greek",
          "roman": "ákarpo",
          "sense": "unable to have children — see also infertile",
          "tags": [
            "neuter"
          ],
          "word": "άκαρπο"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "3 2 91 4",
          "code": "hu",
          "lang": "Hungarian",
          "sense": "unable to have children — see also infertile",
          "word": "terméketlen"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "3 2 91 4",
          "code": "hu",
          "lang": "Hungarian",
          "sense": "unable to have children — see also infertile",
          "word": "meddő"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "3 2 91 4",
          "code": "km",
          "lang": "Khmer",
          "roman": "ʼaa",
          "sense": "unable to have children — see also infertile",
          "word": "អារ"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "3 2 91 4",
          "code": "sv",
          "lang": "Swedish",
          "sense": "unable to have children — see also infertile",
          "word": "ofruktsam"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "3 2 91 4",
          "code": "th",
          "lang": "Thai",
          "roman": "mǎn",
          "sense": "unable to have children — see also infertile",
          "word": "หมัน"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1923, The Homestead, Bloemfontein: The Proprietors, →OCLC, page 33, column 1",
          "text": "The first fruits of the season were eagerly sought after, and everybody was thankful that once more dread winter with its unvarying monotony of fruitless meals was a thing of the past.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1966, Joseph I[rving] Goodman, Alice Propst Hoover, Diet and Live: A Guide to Corrective Eating, Cleveland, Oh.: World Publishing Company, →OCLC, page 14",
          "text": "Bearing this fact in mind will help dispel the confusion and apparent contradictions that surround us in the field of nutrition—the many individual claims as to the ideal diet, for instance, the high-carbohydrate diet, the milkless diet, the breadless diet, the meatless diet, the fruit diet or the fruitless diet, the high-protein or the low-protein diet, and innumerable variations.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Of a diet, etc.: without fruit."
      ],
      "id": "en-fruitless-en-adj-5vDr4IEa",
      "links": [
        [
          "diet",
          "diet#Noun"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(rare) Of a diet, etc.: without fruit."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "rare"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈfɹuːtləs/",
      "tags": [
        "Received-Pronunciation"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈfɹutləs/",
      "tags": [
        "Received-Pronunciation"
      ]
    },
    {
      "audio": "en-au-fruitless.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/5/5f/En-au-fruitless.ogg/En-au-fruitless.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5f/En-au-fruitless.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "Australia"
      ],
      "text": "Audio (AU)"
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0",
      "tags": [
        "obsolete"
      ],
      "word": "fruitlesse"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0",
      "word": "futile"
    }
  ],
  "word": "fruitless"
}
{
  "antonyms": [
    {
      "word": "fruitful"
    },
    {
      "sense": "antonym(s) of \"unproductive\"",
      "word": "effective"
    },
    {
      "sense": "antonym(s) of \"unproductive\"",
      "word": "efficacious"
    },
    {
      "sense": "antonym(s) of \"unproductive\"",
      "word": "productive"
    },
    {
      "sense": "antonym(s) of \"unproductive\"",
      "word": "useful"
    }
  ],
  "categories": [
    "English 2-syllable words",
    "English adjectives",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English entries with topic categories using raw markup",
    "English lemmas",
    "English terms derived from Middle English",
    "English terms inherited from Middle English",
    "English terms suffixed with -less",
    "English terms with IPA pronunciation",
    "English terms with audio links",
    "English terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys",
    "Pages with raw sortkeys",
    "en:Fruits"
  ],
  "derived": [
    {
      "word": "fruitlessly"
    },
    {
      "word": "fruitlessness"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "Inherited"
      },
      "expansion": "Inherited",
      "name": "glossary"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "fruytles",
        "4": "",
        "5": "",
        "g": "",
        "g2": "",
        "g3": "",
        "id": "",
        "lit": "",
        "nocat": "",
        "pos": "",
        "sc": "",
        "sort": "",
        "tr": "",
        "ts": ""
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English fruytles",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "fruytles"
      },
      "expansion": "Inherited from Middle English fruytles",
      "name": "inh+"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "fruit",
        "3": "less"
      },
      "expansion": "fruit + -less",
      "name": "suffix"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "withouten fruyt",
        "lit": "without fruit",
        "t": "fruitless"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English withouten fruyt (“fruitless”, literally “without fruit”)",
      "name": "noncog"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "Inherited from Middle English fruytles; equivalent to fruit + -less. Compare Middle English withouten fruyt (“fruitless”, literally “without fruit”).",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "more fruitless",
      "tags": [
        "comparative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "most fruitless",
      "tags": [
        "superlative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "fruitless (comparative more fruitless, superlative most fruitless)",
      "name": "en-adj"
    }
  ],
  "hyphenation": [
    "fruit‧less"
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "adj",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with quotations"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "2008, Rowan Jacobsen, “Breakfast in America”, in Fruitless Fall: The Collapse of the Honey Bee and the Coming Agricultural Crisis, New York, N.Y.: Bloomsbury USA, page 20",
          "text": "[S]he [Rachel Carson] also warned of falls in which \"there was no pollination and there would be no fruit.\" […] The entomologist Stephen L. Buchmann and the crop ecologist Gary Paul Nabhan amplified Carson's warning in their 1996 book, The Forgotten Pollinators. They predicted fruitless falls unless our land-use patterns changed fast. But few people paid attention.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Bearing no fruit; barren."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "Bearing",
          "bear#Verb"
        ],
        [
          "fruit",
          "fruit#Noun"
        ],
        [
          "barren",
          "barren"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with quotations",
        "English terms with usage examples"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "The unskilled man’s attempt at fixing his car engine was fruitless.",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1634, Iohn Downame [i.e., John Downame], “How We Must Arme Our Selues against Satans Tentations, whereby Hee Laboureth to Makefruitless the Word of God Fruitlesse”, in The Christian Warfare against the Deuill[,] World and Flesh: […], 4th corrected and enlarged edition, London: Printed by William Stansby [for Philemon Stephens and Christopher Meredith], →OCLC, page 181, column 1",
          "text": "[I]f we preſent our ſelues, raſhly and vnaduiſedly, as if we went to a play, or to diſpatch ſome worldly buſineſſe; wee ſhall hardly keepe our minds from negligent wandring and worldly diſtractions, which will make the Word of God fruitleſſe and vnprofitable.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1762, John Bunyan, “Luke xiii. Ver. 8, 9.”, in The Barren Fig-tree: Or, The Doom and Downfall of the Fruitless Professor. […], London: Printed for W. Johnston, […], →OCLC, doctrine II, page 93",
          "text": "[W]hatever Preparations ſoever are made for the Salvation of Sinners, and of how long ſoever they are, yet the God-tempting, God-provoking, and fruitleſs Profeſſor is like to go without a Share therein: […]",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1820 July 31, The Times, number 10,999, London, page 2, column 5",
          "text": "We wish to speak temperately of what assumes a Russian dress and name, under the auspices of the Emperor Alexander; but we rejoice that the overbearing doctrines of his Minister failed to abash or intimidate the Neapolitans; and we do trust, from the bottom of our souls, that, as they did not avert the revolution of Naples, so they will be fruitless to check the course of that noble regeneration of which they could not debar the virtuous and long-suffering Spaniards, or impair those vast blessings with which it is pregnant to the civilized world.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1861 April 23, Thomas Ballard, “Reports of Societies. Royal Medical and Chirurgical Society. [A Previously Unobserved Preventable Cause of Idiocy, Imbecility, and the Allied Affections.]”, in The Medical Times and Gazette. A Journal of Medical Science, Literature, Criticism, and News, volume I, number 567, London: Printed for John Churchill, […], published 11 May 1861, →OCLC, page 506",
          "text": "A large majority of them bear evidence of long-continued habits of fruitless sucking in the deformity of the jaws, which is caused by some portion of the hand being placed in the mouth for the purpose of sucking it at a period of life when the bones were soft enough to yield to its pressure.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Unproductive, useless."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "Unproductive",
          "unproductive"
        ],
        [
          "useless",
          "useless"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(figuratively) Unproductive, useless."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "figuratively"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with archaic senses",
        "English terms with usage examples"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "The fruitless woman desperately wanted to have children.",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Of a person: unable to have children; barren, infertile."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "unable",
          "unable"
        ],
        [
          "child",
          "child"
        ],
        [
          "infertile",
          "infertile"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(figuratively, archaic) Of a person: unable to have children; barren, infertile."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "archaic",
        "figuratively"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with quotations",
        "English terms with rare senses"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1923, The Homestead, Bloemfontein: The Proprietors, →OCLC, page 33, column 1",
          "text": "The first fruits of the season were eagerly sought after, and everybody was thankful that once more dread winter with its unvarying monotony of fruitless meals was a thing of the past.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1966, Joseph I[rving] Goodman, Alice Propst Hoover, Diet and Live: A Guide to Corrective Eating, Cleveland, Oh.: World Publishing Company, →OCLC, page 14",
          "text": "Bearing this fact in mind will help dispel the confusion and apparent contradictions that surround us in the field of nutrition—the many individual claims as to the ideal diet, for instance, the high-carbohydrate diet, the milkless diet, the breadless diet, the meatless diet, the fruit diet or the fruitless diet, the high-protein or the low-protein diet, and innumerable variations.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Of a diet, etc.: without fruit."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "diet",
          "diet#Noun"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(rare) Of a diet, etc.: without fruit."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "rare"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈfɹuːtləs/",
      "tags": [
        "Received-Pronunciation"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈfɹutləs/",
      "tags": [
        "Received-Pronunciation"
      ]
    },
    {
      "audio": "en-au-fruitless.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/5/5f/En-au-fruitless.ogg/En-au-fruitless.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5f/En-au-fruitless.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "Australia"
      ],
      "text": "Audio (AU)"
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "tags": [
        "obsolete"
      ],
      "word": "fruitlesse"
    },
    {
      "word": "futile"
    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "hy",
      "lang": "Armenian",
      "roman": "čʿber",
      "sense": "bearing no fruit; barren",
      "tags": [
        "colloquial"
      ],
      "word": "չբեր"
    },
    {
      "code": "az",
      "lang": "Azerbaijani",
      "sense": "bearing no fruit; barren",
      "word": "barsız"
    },
    {
      "code": "az",
      "lang": "Azerbaijani",
      "sense": "bearing no fruit; barren",
      "word": "meyvəsiz"
    },
    {
      "code": "az",
      "lang": "Azerbaijani",
      "sense": "bearing no fruit; barren",
      "word": "məhsulsuz"
    },
    {
      "code": "bg",
      "lang": "Bulgarian",
      "roman": "bezploden",
      "sense": "bearing no fruit; barren",
      "word": "безплоден"
    },
    {
      "code": "bg",
      "lang": "Bulgarian",
      "roman": "jalov",
      "sense": "bearing no fruit; barren",
      "word": "ялов"
    },
    {
      "code": "nl",
      "lang": "Dutch",
      "sense": "bearing no fruit; barren",
      "word": "onvruchtbaar"
    },
    {
      "code": "eo",
      "lang": "Esperanto",
      "sense": "bearing no fruit; barren",
      "word": "senfrukta"
    },
    {
      "code": "et",
      "lang": "Estonian",
      "sense": "bearing no fruit; barren",
      "word": "viljatu"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "bearing no fruit; barren",
      "word": "hedelmätön"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "bearing no fruit; barren",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "abortif"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "bearing no fruit; barren",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "abortive"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "bearing no fruit; barren",
      "word": "erntelos"
    },
    {
      "code": "el",
      "lang": "Greek",
      "roman": "ákarpos",
      "sense": "bearing no fruit; barren",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "άκαρπος"
    },
    {
      "code": "el",
      "lang": "Greek",
      "roman": "akárpistos",
      "sense": "bearing no fruit; barren",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "ακάρπιστος"
    },
    {
      "code": "el",
      "lang": "Greek",
      "roman": "akarpofóritos",
      "sense": "bearing no fruit; barren",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "ακαρποφόρητος"
    },
    {
      "code": "grc",
      "lang": "Ancient Greek",
      "roman": "ákarpos",
      "sense": "bearing no fruit; barren",
      "word": "ἄκαρπος"
    },
    {
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "sense": "bearing no fruit; barren",
      "word": "sterile"
    },
    {
      "code": "enm",
      "lang": "Middle English",
      "sense": "bearing no fruit; barren",
      "word": "fruytles"
    },
    {
      "code": "pdt",
      "lang": "Plautdietsch",
      "sense": "bearing no fruit; barren",
      "word": "fruchtlooss"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "besplódnyj",
      "sense": "bearing no fruit; barren",
      "word": "беспло́дный"
    },
    {
      "code": "sh",
      "lang": "Serbo-Croatian",
      "sense": "bearing no fruit; barren",
      "word": "bèsplodan"
    },
    {
      "code": "sh",
      "lang": "Serbo-Croatian",
      "sense": "bearing no fruit; barren",
      "word": "бѐсплодан"
    },
    {
      "code": "sv",
      "lang": "Swedish",
      "sense": "bearing no fruit; barren",
      "word": "fruktlös"
    },
    {
      "code": "ar",
      "lang": "Arabic",
      "roman": "ʕaqīm",
      "sense": "unproductive; useless",
      "word": "عَقِيم"
    },
    {
      "code": "hy",
      "lang": "Armenian",
      "roman": "amul",
      "sense": "unproductive; useless",
      "word": "ամուլ"
    },
    {
      "code": "hy",
      "lang": "Armenian",
      "roman": "sterǰ",
      "sense": "unproductive; useless",
      "word": "ստերջ"
    },
    {
      "code": "hy",
      "lang": "Armenian",
      "roman": "zur",
      "sense": "unproductive; useless",
      "word": "զուր"
    },
    {
      "code": "az",
      "lang": "Azerbaijani",
      "sense": "unproductive; useless",
      "word": "barsız"
    },
    {
      "code": "az",
      "lang": "Azerbaijani",
      "sense": "unproductive; useless",
      "word": "faydasız"
    },
    {
      "code": "az",
      "lang": "Azerbaijani",
      "sense": "unproductive; useless",
      "word": "xeyirsiz"
    },
    {
      "code": "bg",
      "lang": "Bulgarian",
      "roman": "bezploden",
      "sense": "unproductive; useless",
      "word": "безплоден"
    },
    {
      "code": "bg",
      "lang": "Bulgarian",
      "roman": "bezpolezen",
      "sense": "unproductive; useless",
      "word": "безполезен"
    },
    {
      "code": "ca",
      "lang": "Catalan",
      "sense": "unproductive; useless",
      "word": "infructuós"
    },
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "roman": "wǎngrán",
      "sense": "unproductive; useless",
      "word": "枉然"
    },
    {
      "code": "nl",
      "lang": "Dutch",
      "sense": "unproductive; useless",
      "word": "vruchteloos"
    },
    {
      "code": "nl",
      "lang": "Dutch",
      "sense": "unproductive; useless",
      "word": "vergeefs"
    },
    {
      "code": "eo",
      "lang": "Esperanto",
      "sense": "unproductive; useless",
      "word": "senfrukta"
    },
    {
      "code": "eo",
      "lang": "Esperanto",
      "sense": "unproductive; useless",
      "word": "sterila"
    },
    {
      "code": "eo",
      "lang": "Esperanto",
      "sense": "unproductive; useless",
      "word": "vana"
    },
    {
      "code": "et",
      "lang": "Estonian",
      "sense": "unproductive; useless",
      "word": "viljatu"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "unproductive; useless",
      "word": "hyödytön"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "unproductive; useless",
      "word": "turha"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "unproductive; useless",
      "word": "vain"
    },
    {
      "code": "ka",
      "lang": "Georgian",
      "roman": "unaq̇opo",
      "sense": "unproductive; useless",
      "word": "უნაყოფო"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "unproductive; useless",
      "word": "fruchtlos"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "unproductive; useless",
      "word": "unfruchtbar"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "unproductive; useless",
      "word": "ergebnislos"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "unproductive; useless",
      "word": "resultatlos"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "unproductive; useless",
      "word": "unerquicklich"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "unproductive; useless",
      "word": "unersprießlich"
    },
    {
      "code": "el",
      "lang": "Greek",
      "roman": "ákarpos",
      "sense": "unproductive; useless",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "άκαρπος"
    },
    {
      "code": "el",
      "lang": "Greek",
      "roman": "ákarpi",
      "sense": "unproductive; useless",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "άκαρπη"
    },
    {
      "code": "el",
      "lang": "Greek",
      "roman": "ákarpo",
      "sense": "unproductive; useless",
      "tags": [
        "neuter"
      ],
      "word": "άκαρπο"
    },
    {
      "code": "el",
      "lang": "Greek",
      "roman": "atelésforos",
      "sense": "unproductive; useless",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "ατελέσφορος"
    },
    {
      "code": "el",
      "lang": "Greek",
      "roman": "atelésfori",
      "sense": "unproductive; useless",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "ατελέσφορη"
    },
    {
      "code": "el",
      "lang": "Greek",
      "roman": "atelésforo",
      "sense": "unproductive; useless",
      "tags": [
        "neuter"
      ],
      "word": "ατελέσφορο"
    },
    {
      "code": "grc",
      "lang": "Ancient Greek",
      "roman": "ákarpos",
      "sense": "unproductive; useless",
      "word": "ἄκαρπος"
    },
    {
      "code": "grc",
      "lang": "Ancient Greek",
      "roman": "ārgós",
      "sense": "unproductive; useless",
      "word": "ᾱ̓ργός"
    },
    {
      "code": "grc",
      "lang": "Ancient Greek",
      "roman": "etṓsios",
      "sense": "unproductive; useless",
      "word": "ἐτώσιος"
    },
    {
      "code": "grc",
      "lang": "Ancient Greek",
      "roman": "kenós",
      "sense": "unproductive; useless",
      "word": "κενός"
    },
    {
      "code": "grc",
      "lang": "Ancient Greek",
      "roman": "hálios",
      "sense": "unproductive; useless",
      "tags": [
        "Epic"
      ],
      "word": "ἅλιος"
    },
    {
      "code": "hi",
      "lang": "Hindi",
      "roman": "asphal",
      "sense": "unproductive; useless",
      "word": "असफल"
    },
    {
      "code": "hi",
      "lang": "Hindi",
      "roman": "niṣphal",
      "sense": "unproductive; useless",
      "word": "निष्फल"
    },
    {
      "code": "hi",
      "lang": "Hindi",
      "roman": "viphal",
      "sense": "unproductive; useless",
      "word": "विफल"
    },
    {
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "sense": "unproductive; useless",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "infruttuoso"
    },
    {
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "sense": "unproductive; useless",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "infruttuosa"
    },
    {
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "sense": "unproductive; useless",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "casso"
    },
    {
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "sense": "unproductive; useless",
      "tags": [
        "feminine",
        "obsolete"
      ],
      "word": "cassa"
    },
    {
      "alt": "ふもう",
      "code": "ja",
      "lang": "Japanese",
      "roman": "fumō",
      "sense": "unproductive; useless",
      "word": "不毛"
    },
    {
      "code": "ko",
      "lang": "Korean",
      "roman": "heotdoeda",
      "sense": "unproductive; useless",
      "word": "헛되다"
    },
    {
      "code": "la",
      "lang": "Latin",
      "sense": "unproductive; useless",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "cassus"
    },
    {
      "code": "la",
      "lang": "Latin",
      "sense": "unproductive; useless",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "cassa"
    },
    {
      "code": "la",
      "lang": "Latin",
      "sense": "unproductive; useless",
      "tags": [
        "neuter"
      ],
      "word": "cassum"
    },
    {
      "code": "lt",
      "lang": "Lithuanian",
      "sense": "unproductive; useless",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "tùščias"
    },
    {
      "code": "lt",
      "lang": "Lithuanian",
      "sense": "unproductive; useless",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "tuščià"
    },
    {
      "code": "mk",
      "lang": "Macedonian",
      "roman": "besploden",
      "sense": "unproductive; useless",
      "word": "бесплоден"
    },
    {
      "code": "enm",
      "lang": "Middle English",
      "sense": "unproductive; useless",
      "word": "fruytles"
    },
    {
      "code": "no",
      "lang": "Norwegian Bokmål",
      "sense": "unproductive; useless",
      "word": "verdiløs"
    },
    {
      "code": "no",
      "lang": "Norwegian Bokmål",
      "sense": "unproductive; useless",
      "word": "verdilaus"
    },
    {
      "code": "nn",
      "lang": "Norwegian Nynorsk",
      "sense": "unproductive; useless",
      "word": "verdilaus"
    },
    {
      "code": "fa",
      "lang": "Persian",
      "roman": "bi-samar",
      "sense": "unproductive; useless",
      "word": "بیثمر"
    },
    {
      "code": "pdt",
      "lang": "Plautdietsch",
      "sense": "unproductive; useless",
      "word": "fruchtlooss"
    },
    {
      "code": "pl",
      "lang": "Polish",
      "sense": "unproductive; useless",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "bezowocny"
    },
    {
      "code": "pl",
      "lang": "Polish",
      "sense": "unproductive; useless",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "próżny"
    },
    {
      "code": "pl",
      "lang": "Polish",
      "sense": "unproductive; useless",
      "word": "bezpłodny"
    },
    {
      "code": "pt",
      "lang": "Portuguese",
      "sense": "unproductive; useless",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "infrutífero"
    },
    {
      "code": "pt",
      "lang": "Portuguese",
      "sense": "unproductive; useless",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "infrutífera"
    },
    {
      "code": "ro",
      "lang": "Romanian",
      "sense": "unproductive; useless",
      "word": "nefructuos"
    },
    {
      "code": "ro",
      "lang": "Romanian",
      "sense": "unproductive; useless",
      "word": "neproductiv"
    },
    {
      "code": "ro",
      "lang": "Romanian",
      "sense": "unproductive; useless",
      "tags": [
        "masculine",
        "neuter"
      ],
      "word": "zadarnic"
    },
    {
      "code": "ro",
      "lang": "Romanian",
      "sense": "unproductive; useless",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "zadarnică"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "besplódnyj",
      "sense": "unproductive; useless",
      "word": "беспло́дный"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "bespoléznyj",
      "sense": "unproductive; useless",
      "word": "бесполе́зный"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "tščétnyj",
      "sense": "unproductive; useless",
      "word": "тще́тный"
    },
    {
      "code": "sa",
      "lang": "Sanskrit",
      "roman": "viphala",
      "sense": "unproductive; useless",
      "word": "विफल"
    },
    {
      "code": "sa",
      "lang": "Sanskrit",
      "roman": "mogha",
      "sense": "unproductive; useless",
      "word": "मोघ"
    },
    {
      "code": "gd",
      "lang": "Scottish Gaelic",
      "sense": "unproductive; useless",
      "word": "mì-tharbhach"
    },
    {
      "code": "sh",
      "lang": "Serbo-Croatian",
      "sense": "unproductive; useless",
      "word": "bèsplodan"
    },
    {
      "code": "sh",
      "lang": "Serbo-Croatian",
      "sense": "unproductive; useless",
      "word": "бѐсплодан"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "unproductive; useless",
      "word": "infructuoso"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "unproductive; useless",
      "word": "estéril"
    },
    {
      "code": "sv",
      "lang": "Swedish",
      "sense": "unproductive; useless",
      "word": "fruktlös"
    },
    {
      "code": "te",
      "lang": "Telugu",
      "roman": "niṣphalamu",
      "sense": "unproductive; useless",
      "word": "నిష్ఫలము"
    },
    {
      "code": "te",
      "lang": "Telugu",
      "roman": "viphalamu",
      "sense": "unproductive; useless",
      "word": "విఫలము"
    },
    {
      "code": "th",
      "lang": "Thai",
      "roman": "mǎn",
      "sense": "unproductive; useless",
      "word": "หมัน"
    },
    {
      "code": "az",
      "lang": "Azerbaijani",
      "sense": "unable to have children — see also infertile",
      "word": "barsız"
    },
    {
      "code": "az",
      "lang": "Azerbaijani",
      "sense": "unable to have children — see also infertile",
      "word": "sonsuz"
    },
    {
      "code": "nl",
      "lang": "Dutch",
      "sense": "unable to have children — see also infertile",
      "word": "onvruchtbaar"
    },
    {
      "code": "eo",
      "lang": "Esperanto",
      "sense": "unable to have children — see also infertile",
      "word": "senfrukta"
    },
    {
      "code": "eo",
      "lang": "Esperanto",
      "sense": "unable to have children — see also infertile",
      "word": "sterila"
    },
    {
      "code": "eo",
      "lang": "Esperanto",
      "sense": "unable to have children — see also infertile",
      "word": "malfekunda"
    },
    {
      "code": "et",
      "lang": "Estonian",
      "sense": "unable to have children — see also infertile",
      "word": "viljatu"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "unable to have children — see also infertile",
      "word": "unfruchtbar"
    },
    {
      "code": "el",
      "lang": "Greek",
      "roman": "ákarpos",
      "sense": "unable to have children — see also infertile",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "άκαρπος"
    },
    {
      "code": "el",
      "lang": "Greek",
      "roman": "ákarpi",
      "sense": "unable to have children — see also infertile",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "άκαρπη"
    },
    {
      "code": "el",
      "lang": "Greek",
      "roman": "ákarpo",
      "sense": "unable to have children — see also infertile",
      "tags": [
        "neuter"
      ],
      "word": "άκαρπο"
    },
    {
      "code": "hu",
      "lang": "Hungarian",
      "sense": "unable to have children — see also infertile",
      "word": "terméketlen"
    },
    {
      "code": "hu",
      "lang": "Hungarian",
      "sense": "unable to have children — see also infertile",
      "word": "meddő"
    },
    {
      "code": "km",
      "lang": "Khmer",
      "roman": "ʼaa",
      "sense": "unable to have children — see also infertile",
      "word": "អារ"
    },
    {
      "code": "sv",
      "lang": "Swedish",
      "sense": "unable to have children — see also infertile",
      "word": "ofruktsam"
    },
    {
      "code": "th",
      "lang": "Thai",
      "roman": "mǎn",
      "sense": "unable to have children — see also infertile",
      "word": "หมัน"
    }
  ],
  "word": "fruitless"
}

This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-05-01 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-04-21 using wiktextract (f4fd8c9 and c9440ce). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.