bears fruit

Meanings

1. 1phraseidiomfigurative

   Produces good results after a period of effort, planning or waiting.

   Grammar: The subject is a plan, effort or idea: her work bears fruit.

   Patterns

   • something bears fruit
   • years of something bear fruit

   Her patient negotiation finally bears fruit when both sides sign the deal.

   Every plan the team makes bears fruit eventually if they stay committed.

   The new teaching method bears fruit in higher exam scores.

2. 2phraseidiom

   Produces fruit, said of a tree or plant.

   Grammar: Literal use; the subject is a tree or plant: the apple tree bears fruit.

   Patterns

   • a tree bears fruit

   The young apple tree bears fruit for the first time this autumn.

   This variety only bears fruit every second year.

   The vine bears fruit late in the season.

Word forms

Common combinations

finally bears fruit

The research finally bears fruit after ten years.

begin to bear fruit

The new policies are beginning to bear fruit.

efforts bear fruit

Her efforts bear fruit when she wins the contract.

plans bear fruit

Our plans bear fruit only if everyone helps.

fail to bear fruit

The investigation failed to bear fruit.

Synonyms and how they differ

pays off

Pays off is more casual and focuses on reward for effort, while bears fruit suggests slow growth toward a result.

succeeds

Succeeds is plain and general, and lacks the image of results ripening over time.

comes to fruition

Comes to fruition is more formal and describes a plan becoming real, rather than the reward itself.

Opposites

Word family

fruitful adjective

producing good results

fruitless adjective

producing no result

fruition noun

the point where a plan is realized

fruit noun

the edible product of a plant, or the result of effort

Commonly confused: bears fruit or bares fruit?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “bears fruit”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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