non-fruit-bearing flower; sterile flower
Literal botanical term for a flower that does not develop into fruit. Also used metaphorically for fruitless efforts.
Cherry blossoms that are sterile flowers do not bear fruit.
flashy but empty; showy without substance
Figurative use for something that appears impressive but lacks real value or lasting results, like a flashy event or a person's superficial charm.
His success turned out to be flashy but empty.
Standard kanji spelling for both literal and figurative senses.
Mixed kanji-kana spelling; less common but still encountered.
Rare variant using 仇; may be confused with other readings.
Compound of 徒 (ada, 'vain, futile') + 花 (hana, 'flower'), with rendaku voicing to bana. The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the word has been used since classical Japanese to describe both literal sterile blossoms and metaphorical fruitlessness.