bear fruit

Pay off finally

To bear fruit is to produce results or yield positive outcomes after effort or investment.

The metaphor comes from fruit trees, which require time and care before producing a harvest.

Plans, efforts, or relationships bear fruit when they finally succeed: Years of research are finally bearing fruit.

Her patience with him never bore fruit.

growth

ripen

Reach edible maturity

matureFully grown or developed
blossomFlower on fruit tree
bloomFlower or flourishing state

germinate · flourish · develop · cultivate · nurture · sprout · grow · propagate · flower · pollinate

outcome

fruition

Attainment of goals

resultWhat follows a cause
harvestGathering mature crops
culminationHighest or final point

achievement · realization · materialization · accomplishment · fulfillment · attainment · payoff · dividend · consequence · manifestation

abundance

harvest

Gathering mature crops

bountyReward for capture
plentySufficient quantity, and then some
windfallUnanticipated lucky gain

yield · profusion · richness · cornucopia · fertility · productivity · proliferation · plentiful · bountiful · prolific

Categories

food idiomspiece of cake, bread winner, cool as a cucumber, bad egg, apples and oranges
farm idiomsmake hay while the sun shines, cream of the crop, put the cart before the horse, till the cows come home, buy the farm
expressions about providinggive and take, hand over, dish out, dole out, hand out

Opposites

productivity/yield

bear fruitcome to nothing

Produce no result

wither on the vine · wither · go to seed · dry up · stagnate

success of endeavor

bear fruitfail

Be unsuccessful

come to naught · fall flat · go nowhere · backfire · fizzle out

Family

bear, fruit, bearing, fruits, bears, fruitful, overbearing, unbearable, fruitless

Familiarity: Top 50,000
Profile: Known to kids · Used worldwide · Timeless · Positive · Everyday, not technical · Rated G