counterproductive
adjective
coun·ter·pro·duc·tive
ˌkau̇n-tər-prə-ˈdək-tiv 
: tending to hinder the attainment of a desired goal
violence as a means to achieve an end is counterproductive—
W. E. Brock born 1930
W. E. Brock born 1930Synonyms
Examples of counterproductive in a Sentence
His uncontrollable anger is very counterproductive to his attempt at saving his marriage.
harsh disciplinary measures that prove to be counterproductive
Recent Examples on the Web
In the run-up to European Parliament elections last week, far-right political parties denounced expenditures for the Ukraine war as fruitless, counterproductive and warmongering — and found a measure of electoral success with that refrain.
—Laura King, Los Angeles Times, 12 June 2024
The criminal prosecution of children is counterproductive: our abuse-laden juvenile justice system does lasting damage to young offenders.
—Riana Pfefferkorn, Scientific American, 10 June 2024
Musk amplifying false claims is counterproductive to rational immigration policy, Arulanantham said.
—Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 6 June 2024
Even many allies in the fight for racial justice dismiss his brand of antiracism as unworkable, wrongheaded or counterproductive.
—Rachel Poser January Lavoy Krish Seenivasan David Mason, New York Times, 4 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for counterproductive 
Laura King, Los Angeles Times, 12 June 2024
The criminal prosecution of children is counterproductive: our abuse-laden juvenile justice system does lasting damage to young offenders.
—Riana Pfefferkorn, Scientific American, 10 June 2024
Musk amplifying false claims is counterproductive to rational immigration policy, Arulanantham said.
—Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 6 June 2024
Even many allies in the fight for racial justice dismiss his brand of antiracism as unworkable, wrongheaded or counterproductive.
—Rachel Poser January Lavoy Krish Seenivasan David Mason, New York Times, 4 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for counterproductive
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'counterproductive.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Counterproductive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/counterproductive. Accessed 19 Jun. 2024.
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