WordGarden.io

infertility

C2
Fairly common

Pronunciation

UK

  • /ɪnfɜːtˈɪlɪti/

US

  • /ˌɪnfərˈtɪlɪˌti/

Meanings

Noun

  1. difficulty or inability to conceive or produce offspring

  2. lack of capacity in soil or land to support plant growth

Beyond the definition

Infertility is not simply a delay. It means having trouble becoming pregnant after trying for a long time. It can affect both women and men, and it does not always mean that having a child is impossible. Sometimes the body needs treatment or extra help. In everyday life, the word often carries a lot of sadness, hope, and silence, because many people go through it quietly.

Examples

  1. 1

    Medical consultation

    After two years of trying to have a baby, they went to a doctor to talk about infertility.

  2. 2

    Ongoing struggle

    Many couples struggle with infertility for a long time before seeking help.

    • Patternstruggle with + problem

      have an ongoing difficult problem

  3. 3

    Fertility clinic

    The clinic offers testing, counseling, and treatment for infertility.

  4. 4

    Men and women

    He was surprised to learn that infertility can affect men as well as women.

More examples
  1. 5

    Personal experience

    She has spoken openly about her experience of infertility.

See also

Similar

Shades of meaning

Contrast

Used with (collocations)

  • male infertility
  • female infertility
  • unexplained infertility
  • infertility treatment

Word family

Explore

  • reproductive health
  • assisted reproduction

Forms and spellings

2 forms open this card.

Main spelling

  • infertilitynoun

Forms

  • infertilitiespluralnoun