不毛|ふもうfumou[0]heiban (flat)

1. no-adjective, na-adjectivebarren; sterile; infertile
2. na-adjective, no-adjectiveunproductive (e.g. discussion); fruitless

• Related寒々しいさむざむしいNeutralDescribes a cold, bleak and dreary scene; it stresses the desolate look of a place, whereas 「不毛」 is about poor soil or fruitless effort.
• Antonym豊饒ほうじょうWrittenAlso an antonym: land rich and bountiful, yielding abundant crops; a written/formal word opposed to 「不毛」.
• Antonym肥沃ひよくNeutralThe antonym for land: fertile, rich soil where crops grow easily — the direct opposite of barren 「不毛」.

Use 「不毛」 for barren land where nothing grows or, figuratively, for fruitless discussion or effort, as in 「不毛の地」「不毛な議論」. For a bleak, dreary scene use 「寒々しい」; the opposites are 「肥沃」 and the more formal, written 「豊饒」.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

1. (『毛け』は「生はえる」「育そだつ」) 土地とちが痩やせていて、作物さくもつが育そだたないこと。
2. (比喩的ひゆてき) 成果せいかを産うみ出だせないこと。