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 rookies this season accumulated 0.054 win shares per 48 minutes—the ninth lowest of the past 40 seasons, but still significantly above recent seasons such as 2014, 2015 and 2017, as well as the infamously unproductive 2001 cohort. —Lev Akabas, Sportico.com, 16 Apr. 2025

Instead, tax dollars are being siphoned off to fund unproductive and unnecessary programs that benefit radical interest groups while hurting hard-working American citizens. —William Lambers, Newsweek, 9 Mar. 2025

The remainder of the lineup was unproductive with men in scoring position. —Jaylon Thompson, Kansas City Star, 17 Apr. 2025

It’s left employees increasingly feeling stuck, unmotivated and unproductive. —Maria Gracia Santillana Linares, Forbes.com, 8 Apr. 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