as in worthless
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
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 nonproductive
North Dakota adopted a bill last year requiring a legislative council to study the feasibility of using nonproductive wells to generate geothermal power.
—
Maria Gallucci,
Wired News,
16 May 2026
Returning nonproductive properties to the tax rolls, creating jobs and boosting the quality of life are only some of the benefits of redeveloping troubled properties.
—
Doug Ross,
Chicago Tribune,
3 May 2026
Pruning also thins nonproductive stems, allowing light to reach the interior of the tree and ripen the fruit.
—
Megan Hughes,
Better Homes & Gardens,
16 Dec. 2025
The key is refusing to engage in circular or baiting conversations, instead setting boundaries and exiting nonproductive conversations.
—
Angela Haupt,
Time,
30 Oct. 2025
Course of trade in the oil industry often leaves the public on the hook for nonproductive well cleanup costs, including capping.
—
Andrew Leahey,
Forbes,
7 Jan. 2025
Maria Gallucci,
Wired News,
16 May 2026
Returning nonproductive properties to the tax rolls, creating jobs and boosting the quality of life are only some of the benefits of redeveloping troubled properties.
—
Doug Ross,
Chicago Tribune,
3 May 2026
Pruning also thins nonproductive stems, allowing light to reach the interior of the tree and ripen the fruit.
—
Megan Hughes,
Better Homes & Gardens,
16 Dec. 2025
The key is refusing to engage in circular or baiting conversations, instead setting boundaries and exiting nonproductive conversations.
—
Angela Haupt,
Time,
30 Oct. 2025
Course of trade in the oil industry often leaves the public on the hook for nonproductive well cleanup costs, including capping.
—
Andrew Leahey,
Forbes,
7 Jan. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nonproductive
Adjective
-
Still, Twain squandered his own fortune and Livy’s inheritance on developing Paige’s invention, even as the Mergenthaler Linotype became the industry standard, rendering Paige’s machine worthless.
-
Bitcoin is either digital gold or worthless.
Adjective
-
Banks must hold more capital and allocate balances to high-quality liquid assets, lowering returns and, occasionally, making the business unprofitable.
-
Digital services taxes are structured such that governments can collect revenue from large companies that operate online — even if the business is unprofitable.
Adjective
-
Barriers to a meaningful life As digital natives, Gen Zers are aware of their attachment to screens, with more than half citing their unproductive use of technology as a significant barrier to developing a meaningful life.
-
Your kindness and understanding have enabled your son to continue his unproductive and unhealthy lifestyle, which isn’t good for any of you.
Adjective
-
Her 36-year-old NFL star boyfriend was also coming off another season playing for the Kansas City Chiefs, which ended with an unsuccessful campaign for a third consecutive Super Bowl ring.
-
However, the efforts were unsuccessful, according to the statement.
Adjective
-
Less friction for good actors, less room for bad actors, and less pointless duplication for everyone else, all the while protecting platforms from data breaches and litigation.
-
But filming an empty field is pointless.
Adjective
-
At any rate, upon election my first official act would be to file legislation to do away with the useless job.
-
An ultra-secure cloud environment is useless if the identity management policy is lax or if access privileges are not reviewed on a strict need-to-know basis.
Adjective
-
As children, Vi and Jinx lose their parents in an abortive revolution in Zaun, and years later find themselves on opposite sides of an unfolding power struggle between the two city-states.
-
Those forces have remained in the country, albeit now with more direct control from the Kremlin (after Wagner’s bombastic chief, Yevgeny Prigozhin, led an abortive coup against Moscow and paid the ultimate price for it).
Adjective
-
On Saturday, Durant reaffirmed his stance that the question of his and other superstars’ effort was an unavailing narrative to explore every February.
Cite this Entry
“Nonproductive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nonproductive. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
