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
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Recent Examples of unproductive
Tens of thousands of unproductive and unplugged oil wells have been abandoned across California — many of which continue to leak potentially explosive methane or toxic benzene.
—
Tony Briscoe, Los Angeles Times, 14 Feb. 2026
Blueberries Blueberry plants become weak and unproductive if they’re not pruned from time to time in winter.
—Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 Feb. 2026
That shift was positive for tribal leaders, who had unproductive relationships with the state after Noem was banned from tribal lands, Lengkeek said.
—Molly Wetsch, South Dakota News Watch, 17 Jan. 2026
The human brain is highly susceptible to often unproductive mind-wandering, and modern technology has only made the problem worse.
—Harvard Business Review, 7 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for unproductive
Tony Briscoe, Los Angeles Times, 14 Feb. 2026
Blueberries Blueberry plants become weak and unproductive if they’re not pruned from time to time in winter.
—Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 Feb. 2026
That shift was positive for tribal leaders, who had unproductive relationships with the state after Noem was banned from tribal lands, Lengkeek said.
—Molly Wetsch, South Dakota News Watch, 17 Jan. 2026
The human brain is highly susceptible to often unproductive mind-wandering, and modern technology has only made the problem worse.
—Harvard Business Review, 7 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for unproductive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unproductive
Adjective
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In some places, fish catches declined precipitously in medium depths, which Joye attributes to nutritionally barren conditions.—
Jeffrey Marlow,
New Yorker,
5 Apr. 2026
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His dread turned to panic when Hochheiser, 79, was unloaded at Villa Rosa III, a 48-bed assisted living home with peeling paint, burglar bars, barren planters and a history of poor care.—
Carol Marbin Miller,
Miami Herald,
2 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Attempts to get a comment from the district office were unsuccessful.—
Clifford Ward,
Chicago Tribune,
2 Apr. 2026
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Corrections staff attempted life-saving measures but were unsuccessful, according to the MDOC.—
Joseph Buczek,
CBS News,
1 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Markets usually jammed with customers were desolate Friday, with some vendors loudly promoting their products in a desperate attempt to attract customers.—
Félix Márquez,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Mar. 2026
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Markets usually jammed with customers were desolate on Friday, with some vendors loudly promoting their products in a desperate attempt to attract customers.—
Boston Herald Wire Services,
Boston Herald,
28 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Catcher Logan O’Hoppe picked it up and then threw it away in a futile attempt to get the out at first.—
Jeff Fletcher,
Oc Register,
29 Mar. 2026
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The latter, a wry comedy of futile endeavor, was based on a story by Kiarostami, but Haghighi soon sought to shake off Kiarostami’s influence—and, even more, a prevailing caricature of Iranian cinema that Kiarostami’s style had given rise to.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
27 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Cities like Chicago — long a haven for Mexican immigrants with ties to families and a community — became landing spots for migrants from increasingly impoverished and authoritarian places such as Venezuela.—
Joe Mahr,
Chicago Tribune,
31 Mar. 2026
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And because of their status, undocumented students are also more likely to come from impoverished backgrounds, says Caitlin Patler, a professor of public policy at UC Berkeley.—
Jonaki Mehta,
NPR,
30 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Bernadine appeared to be useless—or, worse, a potential double agent.—
David D. Kirkpatrick,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
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Sending your resume into the void has never felt more useless.—
Catherina Gioino,
Fortune,
23 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Serious Medical and Emotional Neglect Turner said Kaiko arrived in poor health, suffering from multiple medical issues and signs of prolonged neglect.—
Alice Gibbs,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2026
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The city of Plano scores restaurants on a 100-point system, with 100 considered a perfect score and 70 extremely poor.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
31 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Its 2020 anti-waste law requires unsold nonfood goods to be reused, donated or recycled instead of destroyed.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
27 Mar. 2026
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Breakfast is served in the Heritage Room, and is never too copious, in line with the hotel's anti-waste policy.—
Maddalena Fossati,
Condé Nast Traveler,
6 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Unproductive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unproductive. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
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