unproductive
adjective
un·pro·duc·tive
ˌən-prə-ˈdək-tiv 
-prō-
: not effective in bringing something about : not yielding results, benefits, or profits : not productive
unproductive meetings
unproductive strategies
unproductive workers
Examples of unproductive in a Sentence
crop rotation had prevented the farmland from becoming unproductive
her attempts to write a novel have been unproductive
Recent Examples on the Web
Never committing to any one character’s point of view, Balagov and Stepnova’s script freewheels in meandering but mostly disarming fashion between these strands, with an errant storytelling rhythm aptly reflective of lives that are at once static and in perpetually unproductive motion.
—
Guy Lodge, Variety, 13 May 2026
Anyone who suppresses grief, fear, or doubt because they were taught that those feelings are unproductive.
—Wyles Daniel, USA Today, 11 May 2026
But that strict look had become predictable, stagnant and too unproductive in recent years, even last season when a rash of injuries could have doomed Robert Saleh’s second term as defensive coordinator.
—Cam Inman, Mercury News, 7 May 2026
Seventy percent of the additional cuts come from demonstration roles at unproductive department stores and freestanding channels, indicating just how much more digital beauty has become and how much Lauder is looking to avenues like Amazon and TikTok for growth.
—Evan Clark, Footwear News, 1 May 2026
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Guy Lodge, Variety, 13 May 2026
Anyone who suppresses grief, fear, or doubt because they were taught that those feelings are unproductive.
—Wyles Daniel, USA Today, 11 May 2026
But that strict look had become predictable, stagnant and too unproductive in recent years, even last season when a rash of injuries could have doomed Robert Saleh’s second term as defensive coordinator.
—Cam Inman, Mercury News, 7 May 2026
Seventy percent of the additional cuts come from demonstration roles at unproductive department stores and freestanding channels, indicating just how much more digital beauty has become and how much Lauder is looking to avenues like Amazon and TikTok for growth.
—Evan Clark, Footwear News, 1 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for unproductive
Cite this Entry
“Unproductive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unproductive. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
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