Spanish word

estéril

Pronunciation

IPA/esˈteɾil/

Meaning

  • adjectivefruitless

Example

Intentar convencerle fue estéril.

Trying to convince him was fruitless.

Illustration for estéril (fruitless)

More examples

Su esfuerzo fue estéril, pero siguió intentándolo.

His effort was fruitless, but he kept trying.

Core concept

Barren field.

Common phrases

  • esfuerzo estéril

    fruitless effort

  • conversación estéril

    fruitless conversation

  • intento estéril

    fruitless attempt

Similar words

inútil: Fails to serve its intended purpose or produce any useful effect.
infructuoso: Does not bring the desired outcome despite attempts, especially for actions or efforts.
infértil: Cannot support plant growth or reproduction, applied to land or living bodies.
baldío: Lies uncultivated with little or no vegetation, describing neglected or vacant land.

Definition in Spanish

Que no produce frutos ni resultados; aplicado a tierra, esfuerzos o procesos que no generan beneficios, descendencia o crecimiento.

Word origin

From Latin sterilis 'unfruitful' via the Romance languages into Spanish, preserving the sense of not producing offspring, fruit, or results.

Usage tips

  • Commonly used figuratively for discussions, negotiations, or efforts that produce no practical result, with collocations like discusión estéril and esfuerzos estériles.

Other meanings

  • pointlessadjective
  • uselessadjective
  • infertileadjective
  • sterileadjective

Opposites

Related words

  • esterilidadinfertilitynoun
  • esterilizadosterilizedadjective

Word lists with this word