unproductive

adjective

un·​pro·​duc·​tive ˌən-prə-ˈdək-tiv 

-prō-

: not effective in bringing something about : not yielding results, benefits, or profits : not productive

unproductive meetings

unproductive strategies

unproductive workers

Synonyms

• barren
• bony
• boney
• dead
• desolate
• hardscrabble
• impoverished
• infertile
• poor
• stark
• unfertile
• waste

Examples of unproductive in a Sentence

crop rotation had prevented the farmland from becoming unproductive

her attempts to write a novel have been unproductive

Recent Examples on the Web

The essentially unproductive Communist system, if restrained, would eventually collapse. —Arthur I. Cyr, Chicago Tribune, 11 June 2025

Distinguish between productive discomfort (that drives growth) and unproductive distress (that triggers FOBO). —Michael Hudson, Forbes.com, 29 May 2025

Peppers that produce large fruit should only be lightly pruned to remove unproductive suckers, but smaller-fruited pepper plants can be pruned a little more aggressively to boost airflow and branching. —Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 17 May 2025

Considering his age last season (32), there was a chance the unproductive Flores was going to stick around. —Grant Brisbee, New York Times, 17 May 2025

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1676, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for unproductive

• deconstructive
• nondestructive
• nonproductive
• reconstructive
• reproductive
• abductive
• conductive
• constructive
• deductive
• destructive
• inductive
• instructive