as in worthless
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of nonproductive
North Dakota adopted a bill last year requiring a legislative council to study the feasibility of using nonproductive wells to generate geothermal power.
—
Maria Gallucci,
Wired News,
16 May 2026
Returning nonproductive properties to the tax rolls, creating jobs and boosting the quality of life are only some of the benefits of redeveloping troubled properties.
—
Doug Ross,
Chicago Tribune,
3 May 2026
Pruning also thins nonproductive stems, allowing light to reach the interior of the tree and ripen the fruit.
—
Megan Hughes,
Better Homes & Gardens,
16 Dec. 2025
The key is refusing to engage in circular or baiting conversations, instead setting boundaries and exiting nonproductive conversations.
—
Angela Haupt,
Time,
30 Oct. 2025
Course of trade in the oil industry often leaves the public on the hook for nonproductive well cleanup costs, including capping.
—
Andrew Leahey,
Forbes,
7 Jan. 2025
Maria Gallucci,
Wired News,
16 May 2026
Returning nonproductive properties to the tax rolls, creating jobs and boosting the quality of life are only some of the benefits of redeveloping troubled properties.
—
Doug Ross,
Chicago Tribune,
3 May 2026
Pruning also thins nonproductive stems, allowing light to reach the interior of the tree and ripen the fruit.
—
Megan Hughes,
Better Homes & Gardens,
16 Dec. 2025
The key is refusing to engage in circular or baiting conversations, instead setting boundaries and exiting nonproductive conversations.
—
Angela Haupt,
Time,
30 Oct. 2025
Course of trade in the oil industry often leaves the public on the hook for nonproductive well cleanup costs, including capping.
—
Andrew Leahey,
Forbes,
7 Jan. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nonproductive
Adjective
-
If Iran can still open and shut the Strait at will or charge fees on it, does that mean this agreement is worthless?
-
That is compliance, and compliance is worthless in a transformation.
Adjective
-
The company had grown quickly but was unprofitable, with margins too low to ensure its survival.
-
The private sector won’t invest in anything unprofitable, and almost every rail line in the world requires subsidies.
Adjective
-
Barriers to a meaningful life As digital natives, Gen Zers are aware of their attachment to screens, with more than half citing their unproductive use of technology as a significant barrier to developing a meaningful life.
-
Your kindness and understanding have enabled your son to continue his unproductive and unhealthy lifestyle, which isn’t good for any of you.
Adjective
-
More than a decade ago, her association sought the same change at the federal level and was unsuccessful — opposed at the time by Wine Institute.
-
The city had taken it over, but several attempts at renovation were unsuccessful, until Alan Leventhal, chief executive of Beacon Capital Partners, happened to see the building and envisioned it as a great hotel.
Adjective
-
Less friction for good actors, less room for bad actors, and less pointless duplication for everyone else, all the while protecting platforms from data breaches and litigation.
-
Fresh walls and old trims can be a pointless exercise, as shabby trims will attract attention for all the wrong reasons.
Adjective
-
Using that quartet in what is essentially a useless game would be playing with fire.
-
Maps had become useless; streets and landmarks washed away or hidden.
Adjective
-
As children, Vi and Jinx lose their parents in an abortive revolution in Zaun, and years later find themselves on opposite sides of an unfolding power struggle between the two city-states.
-
Those forces have remained in the country, albeit now with more direct control from the Kremlin (after Wagner’s bombastic chief, Yevgeny Prigozhin, led an abortive coup against Moscow and paid the ultimate price for it).
Adjective
-
On Saturday, Durant reaffirmed his stance that the question of his and other superstars’ effort was an unavailing narrative to explore every February.
-
The position advanced by the states is legally unavailing as a matter of longstanding and well-established law.
Cite this Entry
“Nonproductive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nonproductive. Accessed 27 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
