Make Your Point > Archived Issues > FRUCTIFY

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connect today's word to others: Today we're checking out the verb fructify. It means to bear fruit, to be productive, to be f_c_nd (plentiful), to _ffl_r_sc_ (to grow or develop robustly). (To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.) make your point with... "FRUCTIFY" When something fructifies, it grows fruit, or it becomes productive.  And to fructify something is to make it grow fruit, or to make it be productive. Pronunciation: FRUCK tiff eye Part of speech: Verb. It's both transitive ("this fructifies that") and intransitive ("this fructifies"). Other common forms: fructified, fructifying, fructification How to use it: "Fructify" often appears in religious contexts, and I admit it can sound clumsy and heavy. So, let's save it for formal or even poetic speech and writing. (If, instead of saying "fructify," you could say "bear fruit" or "become fruitful," that might sound nicer and be easier to understand.) Still, compared to lighter words like "bloom," "blossom," and "flourish," our word "fructify" helps you emphasize the usefulness of whatever is in bloom. What kinds of things can fructify, or be fructified? Let's start with literal things, like soil, gardens, lands, plants, crops, flowers, roots, and cells. Abstract things, too, can fructify or be fructified: money, wealth, and savings; industries and economies; talks and discussions; interest, hopes, and wishes; feelings, beliefs, philosophies, and religions; skills, talents, work, and effort; rumors and scandals; and thoughts, ideas, plans, and intentions. We can say something fructifies in some result or product: "The author's childhood experiences fructified in a series of short stories." You might use the passive voice and talk about one thing being fructified by or with a second thing: "a society fructified by new ideas," "a novel fructified with trauma." You can also talk about fructifying powers, energy, blessings, influences, ideas, and so on. Or get extra-metaphorical and talk about fructifying sunshine, or a fructifying grain, germ, or seed. examples: Carol Dweck's Mindset implores us to believe that intelligence can be increased; this belief, Dweck argues, fructifies in all the good habits that lead to success: accepting challenges instead of shying away from them, persevering instead of giving up, and learning from criticism--and from other people's success--instead of feeling threatened. "[Richard Savage's poems] ... illustrate his first great position, 'that good is the consequence of evil.' The sun that burns up the mountains fructifies the vales; the deluge that rushes down the broken rocks with dreadful impetuosity is separated into purling brooks; and the rage of the hurricane purifies the air."     —Samuel Johnson, Lives of the Poets: Addison, Savage, and Swift, 1779 study it now: Look away from the screen to explain the definition in your own words. You’ll know you understand what "fructify" means when you can explain it without saying "bear fruit" or "make fruitful." try it out: Fill in the blanks: "Like a ray of sunlight to the soil, _____ fructifies _____." Example: "Like a ray of sunlight to the soil, a song fructifies the spirit." before you review: Spend at least 20 seconds occupying your mind with the game below. Then try the review questions. Don’t go straight to the review now—let your working memory empty out first. Uncommon Opposites! In each issue this month, I'll give you a rare word and its definition, and you come up with its more familiar opposite. For example, if I say, "To exfiltrate is to secretly withdraw people from a dangerous situation," then you come up with the opposite: "infiltrate." Or if I say, "An allograph is something written by someone other than the person concerned," then you come up with "autograph." We'll take these in order from easy to hard as the month goes on. Ready? From our previous issue: Something arrière-garde is traditional or conservative. What’s the opposite? Answer: Avant-garde. Try this today: Maritality is a wife’s extreme affection for her husband. What’s the opposite? (Not a wife's hatred or resentment! Think: a husband's extreme affection for his wife.) review today's word: 1. The opposite of FRUCTIFY is A. WITHER. B. HYDRATE. C. TAKE ROOT. 2. As the game reaches its peak, his quiet strategy fructifies and his forces _____. A. dwindle B. withdraw C. crush ours Answers are below. a final word: Make Your Point is crafted with love and brought to you each weekday morning by Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words. From Liesl's blog:    36 ways to study words.    Why we forget words, & how to remember them.    How to use sophisticated words without being awkward. To be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com. Disclaimer: When I write definitions, I use plain language and stick to the words' common, useful applications. If you're interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words, I encourage you to check a dictionary. Also, because I'm American, I stick to American English when I share words' meanings, usage, and pronunciations; these elements sometimes vary across world Englishes. Answers to review questions: 1. A 2. C