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Sterile synonyms

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infertile
Relating to soil or land that is not capable of supporting or is unfavorable to the growth of plants.
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  1. Relating to soil or land that is not capable of supporting or is unfavorable to the growth of plants.
  2. Not capable of sustaining crops or vegetation:
  3. Not fertile; not productive; barren
impotent
Ineffective, powerless, or helpless
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  1. Ineffective, powerless, or helpless
  2. (Obsolete) Lacking self-restraint.
  3. Lacking in power, as to act effectively; helpless:
barren
Lacking in liveliness or interest:
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  1. Lacking in liveliness or interest:
  2. Not producing crops or fruit; having little or no vegetation
  3. Lacking vegetation, especially useful vegetation:
issueless
Without issue (children).
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  1. Without issue (children).
  2. Without an issue (point in debate or controversy).
desolate
Feeling, showing, causing, or expressing sadness or loneliness.
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  1. Feeling, showing, causing, or expressing sadness or loneliness.
  2. Made uninhabitable; laid waste; in a ruinous state
  3. Barren; lifeless:
fallow
Untrained; inactive
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  1. Untrained; inactive
  2. Characterized by inactivity:
  3. Plowed but left unseeded during a growing season:
waste
Used to carry off or hold waste or refuse
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  1. Used to carry off or hold waste or refuse
  2. Excreted from the body:
  3. Regarded or discarded as worthless or useless:
desert
Barren and uninhabited; desolate:
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  1. Barren and uninhabited; desolate:
  2. Of a desert or deserts
  3. A large, dry, barren region, usually having sandy or rocky soil and little or no vegetation. Water lost to evaporation and transpiration in a desert exceeds the amount of precipitation; most deserts average less than 25 cm (9.75 inches) of precipitation each year, concentrated in short local bursts. Deserts cover about one fifth of the Earth's surface, with the principal warm deserts located mainly along the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn, where warm, rising equatorial air masses that have already lost most of their moisture descend over the subtropical regions. Cool deserts are located at higher elevations in the temperate regions, often on the lee side of a barrier mountain range where the prevailing winds drop their moisture before crossing the range.
arid
Lacking interest or feeling; lifeless and dull:
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  1. Lacking interest or feeling; lifeless and dull:
  2. Very dry, especially having less precipitation than is needed to support most trees or woody plants. Deserts have arid climates.
  3. Lacking enough water for things to grow; dry and barren
dry
Not under water:
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  1. Not under water:
  2. Having or characterized by little or no rain:
  3. Having no adornment or coloration; plain:
barren
Not bearing or pregnant at the regular time
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  1. Not bearing or pregnant at the regular time
  2. Lacking vegetation, especially useful vegetation:
  3. Not producing crops or fruit; having little or no vegetation
unproductive
(Economics) Adding nothing to exchangeable value.
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  1. (Economics) Adding nothing to exchangeable value.
  2. Not productive; useless; fruitless.
  3. Not productive; idle.
fruitless
Bearing no fruit; sterile; barren
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  1. Bearing no fruit; sterile; barren
  2. Bearing no fruit; barren.
  3. (Rare) Without fruit.
unfruitful
Not productive of a good or useful result.
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  1. Not productive of a good or useful result.
  2. Yielding no worthwhile result; fruitless; unprofitable
  3. Not reproducing; barren; unproductive
bleak
Cold and cutting; raw:
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  1. Cold and cutting; raw:
  2. Providing no encouragement; depressing:
  3. Exposed to wind and cold; unsheltered; treeless; bare
gaunt
Thin or emaciated:
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  1. Thin or emaciated:
  2. Thin and bony; hollow-eyed and haggard, as from great hunger or age; emaciated
  3. Bleak or desolate:
antiseptic
Preventing infection, decay, etc. by inhibiting the action of microorganisms
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  1. Preventing infection, decay, etc. by inhibiting the action of microorganisms
  2. Capable of preventing infection by inhibiting the growth of infectious agents.
  3. Relating to or associated with the use of antiseptics.
septic
Relating to, having the nature of, or affected by sepsis.
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  1. Relating to, having the nature of, or affected by sepsis.
  2. Causing, or resulting from, sepsis or putrefaction
  3. Of or pertaining to sewage or the disposal of sewage.
sanitary
Of health or the rules and conditions of health; esp., promoting health and healthful conditions by the elimination of dirt and agents of infection or disease
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  1. Of health or the rules and conditions of health; esp., promoting health and healthful conditions by the elimination of dirt and agents of infection or disease
  2. In a clean, healthy condition; hygienic
  3. Free from elements, such as filth or pathogens, that endanger health; hygienic:
hygienic
Free from pathogenic elements or environments; sanitary.
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  1. Free from pathogenic elements or environments; sanitary.
  2. (Computing, slang, of a macro) Whose expansion is guaranteed not to cause the accidental capture of identifiers.
  3. Pertaining to hygiene; clean, sanitary.
uninspiring
Not inspiring
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  1. Not inspiring
  2. Not able or likely to arouse enthusiasm in others
stupid
Slow to learn or understand; obtuse.
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  1. Slow to learn or understand; obtuse.
  2. Used to express disparagement or exasperation:
  3. Dazed, stunned, or stupefied:
stale
Ineffective or uninspired, usually from being out of practice or from having done the same thing for too long.
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  1. Ineffective or uninspired, usually from being out of practice or from having done the same thing for too long.
  2. Out of condition, ineffective, enervated, bored, etc. from either too much or too little activity
  3. Lacking originality or spontaneity:
fruitless
Not leading to success; unproductive:
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  1. Not leading to success; unproductive:
  2. Without results; unprofitable; unsuccessful; vain
  3. Useless; unproductive.
unproductive
(Economics) Adding nothing to exchangeable value.
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  1. (Economics) Adding nothing to exchangeable value.
  2. Not productive; useless; fruitless.
  3. Not productive; idle.
barren
Lacking in liveliness or interest:
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  1. Lacking in liveliness or interest:
  2. Not producing crops or fruit; having little or no vegetation
  3. Lacking vegetation, especially useful vegetation:
impotent
(Obsolete) Lacking self-restraint.
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  1. (Obsolete) Lacking self-restraint.
  2. Ineffective, powerless, or helpless
  3. Lacking in power, as to act effectively; helpless:
infertile
Relating to soil or land that is not capable of supporting or is unfavorable to the growth of plants.
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  1. Relating to soil or land that is not capable of supporting or is unfavorable to the growth of plants.
  2. Not capable of sustaining crops or vegetation:
  3. Not fertile; not productive; barren
unfruitful
Yielding no worthwhile result; fruitless; unprofitable
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  1. Yielding no worthwhile result; fruitless; unprofitable
  2. Not bearing fruit or offspring; barren.
  3. Not reproducing; barren; unproductive
barren
Not producing or incapable of producing fruit:
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  1. Not producing or incapable of producing fruit:
  2. Not producing crops or fruit; having little or no vegetation
  3. Lacking vegetation, especially useful vegetation:
infertile
Not capable of sustaining crops or vegetation:
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  1. Not capable of sustaining crops or vegetation:
  2. Relating to soil or land that is not capable of supporting or is unfavorable to the growth of plants.
  3. Not fertile; unproductive or barren.
unfruitful
Yielding no worthwhile result; fruitless; unprofitable
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  1. Yielding no worthwhile result; fruitless; unprofitable
  2. Not bearing fruit or offspring; barren.
  3. Not reproducing; barren; unproductive
unproductive
(Economics) Adding nothing to exchangeable value.
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  1. (Economics) Adding nothing to exchangeable value.
  2. Not productive; useless; fruitless.
  3. Not productive; idle.
uninspired
Lacking or done without inspiration or enthusiasm:
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  1. Lacking or done without inspiration or enthusiasm:
  2. Not inspired; lacking spirit, creativity, zest, etc.; dull
  3. Characterized by a lack of excitement or liveliness; unexciting or uninteresting:
unoriginal
Lacking originality; trite.
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  1. Lacking originality; trite.
arid
Lacking interest or feeling; lifeless and dull:
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  1. Lacking interest or feeling; lifeless and dull:
  2. Very dry, especially having less precipitation than is needed to support most trees or woody plants. Deserts have arid climates.
  3. Lacking enough water for things to grow; dry and barren
aseptic
Not septic; free from or keeping away disease-producing or putrefying microorganisms
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  1. Not septic; free from or keeping away disease-producing or putrefying microorganisms
  2. Free of microorganisms that cause disease.
  3. Using methods to protect against infection by pathogenic microorganisms:
colorless
Pale; pallid:
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  1. Pale; pallid:
  2. Without color
  3. Lacking color:
drab
Dull or commonplace in character; dreary:
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  1. Dull or commonplace in character; dreary:
  2. Faded and dull in appearance.
  3. Of a light olive brown or khaki color.
dry
Constructed without mortar or cement:
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  1. Constructed without mortar or cement:
  2. No longer yielding liquid, especially milk:
  3. Not shedding tears:
dull
Not vivid; not brilliant; dim
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  1. Not vivid; not brilliant; dim
  2. Gloomy; cloudy
  3. Not clear or resonant:
earthbound
Attached or confined to the earth or to earthly concerns:
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  1. Attached or confined to the earth or to earthly concerns:
  2. Confined to or by the earth or earthly things
  3. Fastened in or to the soil:
flat
Having a relatively broad level surface in relation to thickness or depth:
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  1. Having a relatively broad level surface in relation to thickness or depth:
  2. Having lost effervescence or sparkle:
  3. Not glossy; matte:
flavorless
Lacking taste or flavor; without seasoning, spice, or discernible qualities of taste.
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  1. Lacking taste or flavor; without seasoning, spice, or discernible qualities of taste.
  2. Flat; lacking character or definition.
lackluster
Lacking energy or vitality; boring, unimaginative, etc.
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  1. Lacking energy or vitality; boring, unimaginative, etc.
  2. Lacking brightness, luster, or vitality; dull.
  3. Having no shine or lustre; dull
lifeless
Lacking vitality or animation; dull:
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  1. Lacking vitality or animation; dull:
  2. Without life
  3. Dull; listless
lusterless
Lacking distinction, radiance, or vitality; dull:
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  1. Lacking distinction, radiance, or vitality; dull:
  2. Without luster, dull, not shiny, flat or matte finished.
matter-of-fact
Of, or relating to facts only; literal, realistic
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  1. Of, or relating to facts only; literal, realistic
  2. Lacking emotion or colour
  3. Sticking strictly to facts; literal, unimaginative, unemotional, prosaic, etc.
pedestrian
Lacking interest or imagination; prosaic; ordinary and dull
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  1. Lacking interest or imagination; prosaic; ordinary and dull
  2. Going or performed on foot:
  3. Of, relating to, or made for pedestrians:
prosaic
Commonplace, dull and ordinary
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  1. Commonplace, dull and ordinary
  2. Lacking in imagination and spirit; dull.
  3. Of or like prose rather than poetry; often, specif., heavy, flat, unimaginative, etc.
spiritless
Lacking spirit, energy, or vigor; listless; depressed
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  1. Lacking spirit, energy, or vigor; listless; depressed
stodgy
Heavy and unpalatable
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  1. Heavy and unpalatable
  2. (Of food) having a thick, semi-solid consistency; glutinous; heavy on the stomach.
  3. Dull; tedious; uninteresting
uninspired
Lacking or done without inspiration or enthusiasm:
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  1. Lacking or done without inspiration or enthusiasm:
  2. Not inspired; lacking spirit, creativity, zest, etc.; dull
  3. Not inspired; dull or dry

Synonym Study

  • Impotent is specif. applied to a man who cannot engage in sexual intercourse, especially because of an inability to have an erection. All of these words have figurative uses sterile thinking, an infertile mind, a barren victory, unfruitful efforts, impotent rage
  • Barren and unfruitful are specifically applied to a sterile woman or to plants or soil
  • Sterile and infertile imply incapability of producing offspring or fruit, as because of some disorder of the reproductive system
Find another word for sterile. In this page you can discover 90 synonyms, antonyms, idiomatic expressions, and related words for sterile, like: infertile, impotent, childless, infecund, barren, issueless, without issue, desolate, fallow, waste and desert.

Sentence Examples

  • The sterile scent tickled Brady's nostrils.

  • She is a sterile flower, you know--like some strawberry blossoms.

  • It doesn't have to be sterile for us.

  • She followed, uninterested in the sterile glass and stainless steel landscape.

  • The attendant ushered them into a sterile room of white tile and stainless steel.

More sentences →

Words that mention sterile in the Dictionary

Words near sterile in the Thesaurus