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
The idea that bureaucrats are slow-moving and unproductive, as well as insufficiently motivated, is drawn out in Victorian literature, too.
—
Charlie Tyson, The New Yorker, 15 Mar. 2025
Trump and his allies have laid off thousands of federal employees across various departments after criticizing public servants as unproductive and wasteful.
—William Melhado, Sacramento Bee, 12 Mar. 2025
Neither Urgent Nor Important: The time-wasters (e.g., excessive social media scrolling, unproductive busywork).
—Nell Derick Debevoise, Forbes, 24 Feb. 2025
By this point, intimacy is a rarity, communication is unproductive and emotional reciprocity is a thing of a past.
—Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 29 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unproductive
Charlie Tyson, The New Yorker, 15 Mar. 2025
Trump and his allies have laid off thousands of federal employees across various departments after criticizing public servants as unproductive and wasteful.
—William Melhado, Sacramento Bee, 12 Mar. 2025
Neither Urgent Nor Important: The time-wasters (e.g., excessive social media scrolling, unproductive busywork).
—Nell Derick Debevoise, Forbes, 24 Feb. 2025
By this point, intimacy is a rarity, communication is unproductive and emotional reciprocity is a thing of a past.
—Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 29 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unproductive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unproductive
Adjective
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So, why would an elite striker commit to two potentially barren years?—
Mark Carey,
New York Times,
14 Apr. 2025
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The list includes mostly barren Antarctic islands with no imports or exports. 0:51 President Donald Trump's sweeping new set of tariffs impact friend and foe alike, but also on the list are uninhabited islands while some glaring omissions include Russia and Iran.—
Shannon K. Kingston,
ABC News,
3 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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But the Supreme Court denied the court order and requests to President Donald Trump from family, supporters and her attorney were unsuccessful.—
Nicole Acosta,
People.com,
19 Apr. 2025
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In 1945, an attempt was made to identify the unknown remains, but the effort was unsuccessful, the DPAA said.—
Kerry Breen,
CBS News,
18 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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The Memphis rapper began the show with dramatics, rising on a giant platform with her back to the audience as a screen behind her projected the image of a desolate street.—
John Lonsdale,
Rolling Stone,
12 Apr. 2025
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The food and atmosphere had people from across the city willing to venture to a desolate stretch of Bushwick.—
Jeremy Repanich,
Robb Report,
7 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Another recommendation: Attacking Trump’s character, however abhorrent critics may find it, is futile.—
Garry Kasparov,
The Atlantic,
17 Apr. 2025
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Regardless, returning him would be futile, said the president’s aides, as his ultimate fate would be imprisonment, in the United States or elsewhere.—
Michael Wilner,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Criminal justice scholars say that when scores based on immutable facts are weighted so heavily in parole decisions, prisoners from impoverished, racially segregated communities are more likely to be hurt.—
Richard A. Webster,
ProPublica,
10 Apr. 2025
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The once-vacant lot across the street from her childhood playground on Washington Avenue is now home to Wilcox Academy, an early learning center that represents a powerful investment in a historically impoverished community.—
Raymond Pierce,
Forbes.com,
2 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Once the borer has entered the stem, insecticides are useless.—
Arricca Elin SanSone,
Southern Living,
23 Apr. 2025
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Though small, the defect made the telescope mostly useless to astronomers.—
Josh Dinner,
Space.com,
22 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Then someone pointed a finger at a surprising culprit: the soldiers’ poor health.—
Maxim Sytch,
Harvard Business Review,
18 Apr. 2025
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Some parents worry that Alexa's high tolerance for rudeness instills poor behavior in their kids, according to Quartz.—
Emily Forlini,
PC Magazine,
18 Apr. 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 30 Apr. 2025.
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