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
Commission officials reportedly flew to San Francisco last Thursday to press Anthropic executives directly, following weeks of unproductive negotiations.
—
Beatrice Nolan,
Fortune,
2 June 2026
Some 43% of employees report busy-but-unproductive days often or very often, but the burden is unevenly distributed.
—
Forbes.com,
1 June 2026
Oddly enough, Lewis — bedeviled by a series of injuries that included two season-ending knee surgeries since even before his MLB clock started ticking — has been healthy and unproductive.
—
John Shipley,
Twin Cities,
29 May 2026
Failing to Declutter First Trying to overhaul your current storage system while the garage is cramped with clutter (which also minimizes the value of your home) is unproductive.
—
Mary Cornetta,
Better Homes & Gardens,
28 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for unproductive
Beatrice Nolan,
Fortune,
2 June 2026
Some 43% of employees report busy-but-unproductive days often or very often, but the burden is unevenly distributed.
—
Forbes.com,
1 June 2026
Oddly enough, Lewis — bedeviled by a series of injuries that included two season-ending knee surgeries since even before his MLB clock started ticking — has been healthy and unproductive.
—
John Shipley,
Twin Cities,
29 May 2026
Failing to Declutter First Trying to overhaul your current storage system while the garage is cramped with clutter (which also minimizes the value of your home) is unproductive.
—
Mary Cornetta,
Better Homes & Gardens,
28 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for unproductive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unproductive
Adjective
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The fires eviscerated many of the plants and trees in and around the burn zones, leaving behind barren lots and charred swaths of parkland.
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There are quite a few interesting options this summer, especially compared to last year’s barren goalie landscape that was headlined by veteran backups.
Adjective
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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.
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However, the efforts were unsuccessful, according to the statement.
Adjective
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Walking around the tiny outpost offers an understanding of just how vast and desolate this arid part of the country can be.
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In the summer it had been packed with people out on the streets, by the fall is was desolate.
Adjective
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Exciting and futile The Humans to Titan Summit was both exciting and futile, said Pascal Lee, chairman of the Mars Institute and a planetary scientist at the SETI Institute.
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All these plans acknowledge the experience gap, namely that training without arranging relevant work experience is often futile.
Adjective
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This British drama series follows a woman named Emma over the course of more than six decades of her life, from the 1900s through the 1970s, working her way from impoverished maid to the world’s richest woman.
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Known as a Neglected Tropical Disease because of the lack of funding to fight it, schistosomiasis is a serious challenge for impoverished communities.
Adjective
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At any rate, upon election my first official act would be to file legislation to do away with the useless job.
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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
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Because of that, these hands suffer from high production costs, poor durability against impacts, short operational lifespans, and there are no existing solutions that engineers can readily draw upon, Wang added.
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The extreme heat can also affect people who are physically ill, especially those with heart disease or high blood pressure, or who take certain medications, such as for depression, insomnia, or poor circulation.
Adjective
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Recycling and anti-waste advocates counter that regulators weakened the law with exemptions and carve-outs that could undermine its environmental goals.
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Shards of glass and ceramic, rusted metal, medical and bio-waste, syringes, cracked circuit boards, and broken electronics protruded everywhere.
Cite this Entry
“Unproductive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unproductive. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.
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