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unproductive

adjective

ˌən-prə-ˈdək-tiv How to pronounce unproductive (audio)
Definition of unproductivenext
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

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 After a brief, unproductive stint with the San Diego Padres, Castellanos has now embraced a new chapter in baseball. — Peter Chawaga, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026 But if instead its excess savings finance unproductive investment at home or drive high household consumption, asset bubbles, or persistent fiscal deficits in the economies of its trading partners, the whole system becomes increasingly shaky. — Michael Pettis, Foreign Affairs, 28 Aug. 2026 Analysts have warned that the structural remedies Bonta has in mind might be deal-breakers for Paramount, making any settlement talks ultimately unproductive. — Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 22 Aug. 2026 So many people who influence public opinion in the United States do so in a damaging and unproductive way because the problem of creeping authoritarianism doesn’t affect them personally. — Sarah Batcha, Daily News, 20 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for unproductive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unproductive
  1. barren
  2. unsuccessful
  3. desolate
  4. futile
  5. impoverished
  6. useless
  7. poor
  8. waste
Adjective
  • Later, this same organic material hitched a ride on crashing meteorites to seed a young, barren Earth.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 22 Sep. 2026
  • In one of these journals, called Notebook B, there is an incidental sketch, a few scratched lines like the barren twigs of a winter tree.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of barren
Adjective
  • Kasdin said, up to now, efforts to negotiate with the residents on Fifth Street have been unsuccessful.
    — Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 25 Sep. 2026
  • Coulter, Hatten, Jones and McMichales all brought unsuccessful challenges against Wilson during last April’s municipal election.
    — Olivia Stevens, Chicago Tribune, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of unsuccessful
Adjective
  • With its fragile acoustic melodies, desolate lyrics, and spare, subtle studio accompaniment, Ride Lonesome is like Nick Drake’s mumble-folk masterpiece Bryter Layter as the work of a lovelorn Laurel Canyon soft-rock poet.
    — Jon Dolan, Rolling Stone, 18 Sep. 2026
  • Making matters worse, those same neighborhoods are some of the city’s most desolate transit deserts.
    — Al Sharpton, New York Daily News, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of desolate
Adjective
  • Before the court fight was launched, Edwin Benn, the arbitrator who oversaw 2023 contract negotiations between the city and FOP, warned the City Council that any attempt to undermine his award to the union would be futile.
    — Sam Charles, Chicago Tribune, 24 Sep. 2026
  • It’s also brilliantly written as a futile, pathetic rebellion by men with zero agency or purpose in their own lives.
    — Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of futile
Adjective
  • Three gunmen barged into a small house in an impoverished neighborhood in South Africa and opened fire on a group enjoying a party inside, killing at least 11 people including a pregnant woman, police and local authorities said Wednesday.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 23 Sep. 2026
  • In 1693, Antoine Theroux, an impoverished 18-year-old boatman, was recruited to defend New France, as Canada was then known, against the Indigenous tribes and the British for King Louis XIV.
    — Heller McAlpin, Christian Science Monitor, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of impoverished
Adjective
  • People tend to think of waste as trash, sewage, slag, manure and other seemingly useless or disgusting substances.
    — Edward D. Melillo, The Conversation, 30 Sep. 2026
  • Refuse outright, and the tool is useless to whoever authorizes it.
    — Ethan Pham, Forbes.com, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of useless
Adjective
  • Because of the drought, woodland deer food is not abundant in most of the state this year, and what exists is in poor condition with low nutritional value.
    — Bryan Hendricks, Arkansas Online, 27 Sep. 2026
  • The Maracana's turf has been a concern for almost two weeks due to its poor shape amid a long season in Brazilian soccer.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 26 Sep. 2026
Definition of poor
Adjective
  • Recycling and anti-waste advocates counter that regulators weakened the law with exemptions and carve-outs that could undermine its environmental goals.
    — Bloomberg, Mercury News, 1 June 2026
  • Shards of glass and ceramic, rusted metal, medical and bio-waste, syringes, cracked circuit boards, and broken electronics protruded everywhere.
    — CNN Money, CNN Money, 15 Apr. 2026
Definition of waste

Browse Nearby Words

unprocessed
unproductive
unprofessional
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Unproductive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unproductive. Accessed 1 Oct. 2026.

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