1
as in barren
producing inferior or only a small amount of vegetation
crop rotation had prevented the farmland from becoming unproductive
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in unsuccessful
producing no results
her attempts to write a novel have been unproductive
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 unproductive
Flores, who is coming off an injury-shorted and largely unproductive 2024, laid the foundation for this hot start with his go-ahead, three-run homer in the ninth inning on their Opening Day win.
—
Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 2 Apr. 2025
That leads us to another myth: that a service-heavy economy is somehow weak or unproductive.
—Veronique De Rugy, Oc Register, 28 Mar. 2025
The idea that bureaucrats are slow-moving and unproductive, as well as insufficiently motivated, is drawn out in Victorian literature, too.
—Charlie Tyson, The New Yorker, 15 Mar. 2025
Trump and his allies have laid off thousands of federal employees across various departments after criticizing public servants as unproductive and wasteful.
—William Melhado, Sacramento Bee, 12 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unproductive
Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 2 Apr. 2025
That leads us to another myth: that a service-heavy economy is somehow weak or unproductive.
—Veronique De Rugy, Oc Register, 28 Mar. 2025
The idea that bureaucrats are slow-moving and unproductive, as well as insufficiently motivated, is drawn out in Victorian literature, too.
—Charlie Tyson, The New Yorker, 15 Mar. 2025
Trump and his allies have laid off thousands of federal employees across various departments after criticizing public servants as unproductive and wasteful.
—William Melhado, Sacramento Bee, 12 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unproductive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unproductive
Adjective
-
So, why would an elite striker commit to two potentially barren years?—
Mark Carey,
New York Times,
14 Apr. 2025
-
The project’s fertilizer by-product will support farmers and transform barren land into fertile farmland, according to Prasad.—
Ian Sayson,
Forbes.com,
3 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
But the Supreme Court denied the court order and requests to President Donald Trump from family, supporters and her attorney were unsuccessful.—
Nicole Acosta,
People.com,
19 Apr. 2025
-
Meanwhile, Min and Chris’ closest friends, Kelly Marie Tran’s Angela, a research scientist, and Lily Gladstone’s Lee, an Indigenous community organizer, have been struggling to conceive a child; Lee has just found out that her second round of IVF has been unsuccessful.—
Stephanie Zacharek,
Time,
18 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
The Memphis rapper began the show with dramatics, rising on a giant platform with her back to the audience as a screen behind her projected the image of a desolate street.—
John Lonsdale,
Rolling Stone,
12 Apr. 2025
-
The food and atmosphere had people from across the city willing to venture to a desolate stretch of Bushwick.—
Jeremy Repanich,
Robb Report,
7 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Regardless, returning him would be futile, said the president’s aides, as his ultimate fate would be imprisonment, in the United States or elsewhere.—
Michael Wilner,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Apr. 2025
-
Another recommendation: Attacking Trump’s character, however abhorrent critics may find it, is futile.—
Garry Kasparov,
The Atlantic,
17 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Pope Francis was the first pope to take the name of St. Francis of Assisi, well-known for his call for engagement with the impoverished, love of creation and the Church.—
Gabriele Regalbuto,
FOXNews.com,
26 Apr. 2025
-
The dedication to care for impoverished women and children continues to influence the culture and values of Mercy today.—
Ross Rosenfeld,
MSNBC Newsweek,
23 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Once the borer has entered the stem, insecticides are useless.—
Arricca Elin SanSone,
Southern Living,
23 Apr. 2025
-
Though small, the defect made the telescope mostly useless to astronomers.—
Josh Dinner,
Space.com,
22 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Consumer spending softened, increasing 1.8%, down from a 4% rise in the fourth quarter, but a decent performance in light of stock market turmoil and poor weather early in the quarter.—
Paul Davidson,
USA Today,
1 May 2025
-
These factors could contribute material risk to Nike’s earnings and put the company in a poor position to manage near-term headwinds.—
Lisa Kailai Han,
CNBC,
30 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
This anti-waste brand upcycles materials, and was founded by Kisa Sky Shiga.—
Nadja Sayej,
Forbes,
20 Dec. 2022
-
Fanning out like urban guerrillas through Paris’ darkened streets well after midnight, the anti-waste activists shinny up walls and drain pipes, reaching for switches to turn off the lights. Click.—
The Christian Science Monitor,
The Christian Science Monitor,
3 Aug. 2022
Cite this Entry
“Unproductive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unproductive. Accessed 3 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share