Seed — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

noun verb /ˈsēd/

Meaning & Definition of Seed

Seed (noun)

  1. the grains or ripened ovules of plants used for sowing
  2. the fertilized ripened ovule of a flowering plant containing an embryo and capable normally of germination to produce a new plant; broadly, a propagative plant structure (such as a spore or small dry fruit)
  3. a propagative animal structure:

Seed (verb)

  1. to bear or shed seed
  2. to sow seed, plant
  3. to plant seeds in, sow

Seed (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. the source from which something grows or develops

    "ancient Greece provided the seed for much of Western civilization's political and philosophical thought"

    similar: fountainhead, germ, origin, root, seedbed
    related: font, fountain, spring, well, wellhead, wellspring, beginning, birth, commencement, dawn, genesis, inception, incipiency, launch, morning, onset, outset, start, threshold, creation, inauguration, origination

  2. the descendants of a person, animal, or plant

    "the famous stallion's seed can be found on racetracks all over the world"

    similar: fruit, get, issue, offspring, posterity, progeny, spawn
    related: brood, hatch, litter, young, child, scion, family, kin, lineage, stock
    near: ancestor, antecedent, father, forebear, forebearer, forefather, grandfather, parent, primogenitor, progenitor

Seed (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to put or set into the ground to grow

    "seeded grass in the backyard"

    similar: drill, plant, put in, sow
    related: bed, replant, transplant, broadcast, scatter, pot, overseed, reseed
    near: gather, harvest, reap

Related Entry: Go to seed (phrase)

Go to seed is a different word from Seed. The synonyms below are for go to seed, not for seed.

  1. to become worse or of less value

    "They've really let the house go to seed and probably won't be able to sell it."

    similar: atrophy, crumble, decay, decline, degenerate, descend, deteriorate, devolve, ebb, regress, retrograde, rot, sink, worsen, go to pot
    related: abate, de-escalate, diminish, downsize, dwindle, recede, wane, break down, corrupt, decompose, degrade, dilapidate, disintegrate, molder, putrefy, sour, spoil, lessen, lower, reduce, debilitate, undermine, droop, fail, fall, flag, lag, languish, run down, sag, slip, waste (away), weaken, wilt
    opposite: ameliorate, improve, meliorate
    near: better, upgrade, enhance, enrich, fortify, heighten, intensify, strengthen, advance, develop, march, proceed, progress

  2. to go through decomposition

    "When we returned from vacation, everything in our refrigerator had gone to seed."

    similar: break down, corrupt, decay, decompose, disintegrate, fester, foul, mold, molder, perish (chiefly British), putrefy, rot, spoil, fall apart
    related: sour, turn, turn off (British), contaminate, defile, pollute, taint, addle, curdle, ferment, mortify, rust, crumble, decline, degenerate, descend, deteriorate, dilapidate, sink, wither
    near: age, develop, grow, mature, ripen, refresh, renew, restore, cleanse, purify, assemble, compose, integrate, ameliorate, better, improve, meliorate

Related Entry: Gone to seed (phrase)

Gone to seed is a different word from Seed. The synonyms below are for gone to seed, not for seed.

  1. showing signs of advanced wear and tear and neglect

    "That old, rusted car has gone to seed."

    similar: beat-up, bombed-out, dilapidated, dog-eared, down-at-the-heels, dumpy, grungy, mangy, mean, miserable, moth-eaten, neglected, ratty, run-down, scrubby, scruffy, seedy, shabby, sleazy, tacky, tatterdemalion, tatty, threadbare, timeworn, tumbledown
    related: abandoned, unkept, desolate, forlorn, godforsaken, broken-down, decrepit, tired, worn-out, bedraggled, dingy, ragged, tattered, decaying, deteriorated, deteriorating, rackety, ramshackle, rattletrap, rickety, tumbledown, broken, damaged, destroyed, harmed, hurt, impaired, injured, ruined, wrecked
    near: brand-new, fresh, new, cared-for, kept-up, maintained, mended, patched, rebuilt, reconstructed, smart, spiffy, spruce

Related Entry: Gone to seed (phrase)

Gone to seed is a different word from Seed. The synonyms below are for gone to seed, not for seed.

  1. to become worse or of less value

    "They've really let the house go to seed and probably won't be able to sell it."

    similar: atrophied, crumbled, decayed, declined, degenerated, descended, deteriorated, devolved, ebbed, regressed, retrograded, rotted, sunk, worsened, gone to pot
    related: abated, de-escalated, diminished, downsized, dwindled, receded, waned, broken down, corrupted, decomposed, degraded, dilapidated, disintegrated, moldered, putrefied, soured, spoiled, lessened, lowered, reduced, debilitated, undermined, drooped, failed, fallen, flagged, lagged, languished, run down, sagged, slipped, wasted (away), weakened, wilted
    opposite: ameliorated, improved, meliorated
    near: bettered, upgraded, enhanced, enriched, fortified, heightened, intensified, strengthened, advanced, developed, marched, proceeded, progressed

  2. to go through decomposition

    "When we returned from vacation, everything in our refrigerator had gone to seed."

    similar: broken down, corrupted, decayed, decomposed, disintegrated, festered, fouled, molded, moldered, perished (chiefly British), putrefied, rotted, spoiled, fallen apart
    related: soured, turned, turned off (British), contaminated, defiled, polluted, tainted, addled, curdled, fermented, mortified, rusted, crumbled, declined, degenerated, descended, deteriorated, dilapidated, sunk, withered
    near: aged, developed, grown, matured, ripened, refreshed, renewed, restored, cleansed, purified, assembled, composed, integrated, ameliorated, bettered, improved, meliorated

Related Entry: Went to seed (phrase)

Went to seed is a different word from Seed. The synonyms below are for went to seed, not for seed.

  1. to become worse or of less value

    "They've really let the house go to seed and probably won't be able to sell it."

    similar: atrophied, crumbled, decayed, declined, degenerated, descended, deteriorated, devolved, ebbed, regressed, retrograded, rotted, sank, worsened, went to pot
    related: abated, de-escalated, diminished, downsized, dwindled, receded, waned, broke down, corrupted, decomposed, degraded, dilapidated, disintegrated, moldered, putrefied, soured, spoiled, lessened, lowered, reduced, debilitated, undermined, drooped, failed, fell, flagged, lagged, languished, ran down, sagged, slipped, wasted (away), weakened, wilted
    opposite: ameliorated, improved, meliorated
    near: bettered, upgraded, enhanced, enriched, fortified, heightened, intensified, strengthened, advanced, developed, marched, proceeded, progressed

  2. to go through decomposition

    "When we returned from vacation, everything in our refrigerator had gone to seed."

    similar: broke down, corrupted, decayed, decomposed, disintegrated, festered, fouled, molded, moldered, perished (chiefly British), putrefied, rotted, spoiled, fell apart
    related: soured, turned, turned off (British), contaminated, defiled, polluted, tainted, addled, curdled, fermented, mortified, rusted, crumbled, declined, degenerated, descended, deteriorated, dilapidated, sank, withered
    near: aged, developed, grew, matured, ripened, refreshed, renewed, restored, cleansed, purified, assembled, composed, integrated, ameliorated, bettered, improved, meliorated

Related Entry: Goes to seed (phrase)

Goes to seed is a different word from Seed. The synonyms below are for goes to seed, not for seed.

  1. to become worse or of less value

    "They've really let the house go to seed and probably won't be able to sell it."

    similar: atrophies, crumbles, decays, declines, degenerates, descends, deteriorates, devolves, ebbs, regresses, retrogrades, rots, sinks, worsens, goes to pot
    related: abates, de-escalates, diminishes, downsizes, dwindles, recedes, wanes, breaks down, corrupts, decomposes, degrades, dilapidates, disintegrates, molders, putrefies, sours, spoils, lessens, lowers, reduces, debilitates, undermines, droops, fails, falls, flags, lags, languishes, runs down, sags, slips, wastes (away), weakens, wilts
    opposite: ameliorates, improves, meliorates
    near: betters, upgrades, enhances, enriches, fortifies, heightens, intensifies, strengthens, advances, develops, marches, proceeds, progresses

  2. to go through decomposition

    "When we returned from vacation, everything in our refrigerator had gone to seed."

    similar: breaks down, corrupts, decays, decomposes, disintegrates, festers, fouls, molders, molds, perishes (chiefly British), putrefies, rots, spoils, falls apart
    related: sours, turns, turns off (British), contaminates, defiles, pollutes, taints, addles, curdles, ferments, mortifies, rusts, crumbles, declines, degenerates, descends, deteriorates, dilapidates, sinks, withers
    near: ages, develops, grows, matures, ripens, refreshes, renews, restores, cleanses, purifies, assembles, composes, integrates, ameliorates, betters, improves, meliorates

Related Entry: Going to seed (phrase)

Going to seed is a different word from Seed. The synonyms below are for going to seed, not for seed.

  1. to become worse or of less value

    "They've really let the house go to seed and probably won't be able to sell it."

    similar: atrophying, crumbling, decaying, declining, degenerating, descending, deteriorating, devolving, ebbing, regressing, retrograding, rotting, sinking, worsening, going to pot
    related: abating, de-escalating, diminishing, downsizing, dwindling, receding, waning, breaking down, corrupting, decomposing, degrading, dilapidating, disintegrating, moldering, putrefying, souring, spoiling, lessening, lowering, reducing, debilitating, undermining, drooping, failing, falling, flagging, lagging, languishing, running down, sagging, slipping, wasting (away), weakening, wilting
    opposite: ameliorating, improving, meliorating
    near: bettering, upgrading, enhancing, enriching, fortifying, heightening, intensifying, strengthening, advancing, developing, marching, proceeding, progressing

  2. to go through decomposition

    "When we returned from vacation, everything in our refrigerator had gone to seed."

    similar: breaking down, corrupting, decaying, decomposing, disintegrating, festering, fouling, moldering, molding, perishing (chiefly British), putrefying, rotting, spoiling, falling apart
    related: souring, turning, turning off (British), contaminating, defiling, polluting, tainting, addling, curdling, fermenting, mortifying, rusting, crumbling, declining, degenerating, descending, deteriorating, dilapidating, sinking, withering
    near: aging, developing, growing, maturing, ripening, refreshing, renewing, restoring, cleansing, purifying, assembling, composing, integrating, ameliorating, bettering, improving, meliorating

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Seed

The most common words with a similar meaning to Seed:

fountainhead, germ, origin, root, seedbed, fruit, get, issue, offspring, posterity, progeny, spawn, drill, plant, put in, sow

Related Words for Seed

font, fountain, spring, well, wellhead, wellspring, beginning, birth, commencement, dawn, genesis, inception, incipiency, launch, morning, onset, outset, start, threshold, creation, inauguration, origination, brood, hatch, litter, young, child, scion, family, kin

Near Antonyms of Seed

ancestor, antecedent, father, forebear, forebearer, forefather, grandfather, parent, primogenitor, progenitor, gather, harvest, reap

Word Forms of Seed

Inflections: seeds, seeded, seeding

Derived words: seed (adjective), seeded (adjective), seedless (adjective), seedlike (adjective)

Origin & Etymology of Seed

Middle English, from Old English sǣd; akin to Old High German sāt seed, Old English sāwan to sow sow

First known use: before 12th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Seed

Words & Phrases Containing Seed

seed coat, seed fern, seed leaf, seed money, seed oyster, seed pearl, seed plant, seed potato

Frequently Asked Questions about Seed

What does "Seed" mean?

"Seed" means the grains or ripened ovules of plants used for sowing. As an a noun and a verb, it is defined as: the grains or ripened ovules of plants used for sowing. It has 3 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Seed"?

Other words for "Seed" include fountainhead, germ, origin, root, seedbed, fruit, get and issue. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Seed" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Seed"?

There are 56 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Seed". Common alternatives include fountainhead, germ, origin, root, seedbed, fruit, get, issue, offspring and posterity.

How do you use "Seed" in a sentence?

Examples of "Seed" in a sentence: "ancient Greece provided the seed for much of Western civilization's political and philosophical thought"; "the famous stallion's seed can be found on racetracks all over the world"; "seeded grass in the backyard".

Is "Seed" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Seed" can be used as a noun and a verb, depending on the context.

Is "Seed" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As a B1-level word, "Seed" is typical of Cambridge B1 Preliminary (PET), IELTS band 4.0–5.0, TOEFL iBT 42–71, PTE Academic 43–58, TOEIC Listening & Reading 550+.

How do you pronounce "Seed"?

"Seed" is pronounced /ˈsēd/.

What is the origin of the word "Seed"?

"Seed" comes from Middle English, from Old English sǣd; akin to Old High German sāt seed, Old English sāwan to sow sow. First known use: before 12th century.