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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in unsuccessful
producing no results
her attempts to write a novel have been unproductive
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of unproductive
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
See All Example Sentences for unproductive
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
See All Example Sentences for unproductive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unproductive
Adjective
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Work and plans are changing what was once a barren landscape into a new neighborhood.—
Kenneth R. Gosselin,
Hartford Courant,
29 June 2025
-
As the moon progresses through the different phases of the lunar calendar, the sun's light throws new impact sites, barren plains, and swathes of broken landscapes into relief as prime targets for amateur astronomers wielding binoculars and backyard telescopes.—
Anthony Wood,
Space.com,
21 June 2025
Adjective
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Life-saving efforts were unsuccessful and the man was pronounced dead at the scene, said Officer Anthony Gamble, a Sacramento Police Department spokesperson.—
The Sacramento Bee,
Sacbee.com,
29 June 2025
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Attempts to impeach Pashinyan, who came to power in 2018, were unsuccessful.—
Avet Demourian,
Los Angeles Times,
27 June 2025
Adjective
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For starters, no one would ever describe them as empty or desolate.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
27 June 2025
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Of the 14 missiles, 13 were intercepted, with the final munition allowed to land harmlessly in a desolate area.—
Brady Knox,
The Washington Examiner,
24 June 2025
Adjective
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The regime’s tyrannical efforts to control and extinguish their savings were futile against their newfound freedom money.—
Mauricio Di Bartolomeo,
Forbes.com,
30 June 2025
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The researchers said their findings should not suggest afforestation and carbon offsetting are futile.—
Hayley Smith,
Los Angeles Times,
19 June 2025
Adjective
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The impoverished duke needs Gladys' dowry to prop up his family's estate, and Bertha may have promised him a bit too much without informing George or taking Gladys' wishes into account.—
Kelly Lawler,
USA Today,
23 June 2025
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Known collectively as Hessians, since most Germans hired by London to fight in America came from Hesse-Kassel, this contingent was largely from the small, impoverished duchy of Brunswick, whose ruling family had intermarried with the British royal family.—
/ CBS News,
CBS News,
13 June 2025
Adjective
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The price signals are useless because the government prohibited them from being useful.—
The Editors,
National Review,
30 June 2025
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The devices must also give consumers the option of deactivating such features, unless that action would render the device useless.—
Andrew Brown,
Hartford Courant,
24 June 2025
Adjective
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Despite having a poor 2024 season that saw the Pirates remove Bednar from the closer role, the right-hander is back to his dominant form.—
Zach Pressnell,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 June 2025
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The key drivers are BGE’s soaring spending and profits and poor management by PJM Interconnection, the private entity that operates our electric grid.—
Emily Scarr,
Baltimore Sun,
29 June 2025
Adjective
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This anti-waste brand upcycles materials, and was founded by Kisa Sky Shiga.—
Nadja Sayej,
Forbes,
20 Dec. 2022
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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 11 Jul. 2025.
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