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

Synonyms

• barren
• bony
• boney
• dead
• desolate
• hardscrabble
• impoverished
• infertile
• poor
• stark
• unfertile
• waste

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

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

Without opportunities for growth, employees risk becoming disengaged and unproductive, which harms the organization’s culture and competitiveness. —Toyna Chin, Forbes, 21 Feb. 2025

Congress had one of its most unproductive and dysfunctional periods the past two years that featured leadership fights, name-calling and physical aggression among lawmakers and averting government shutdowns with just hours to spare. —Sudiksha Kochi, USA TODAY, 20 Feb. 2025

While maintaining connections can open doors, holding onto toxic, unproductive relationships do more harm than good. —Cheryl Robinson, Forbes, 20 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1676, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for unproductive

• deconstructive
• nondestructive
• nonproductive
• reconstructive
• reproductive
• abductive
• conductive
• constructive
• deductive
• destructive
• inductive
• instructive