as in unsuccessful
not producing the desired result
harsh disciplinary measures that prove to be counterproductive
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Recent Examples of counterproductive
The format has been criticized as politically counterproductive, with Newsom appearing unprepared and overly eager to validate conservative talking points.
—
Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times, 12 Mar. 2025
In the aftermath of the dispute, Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham – who has been a staunch supporter of Ukraine – suggested that Zelenskyy should resign, the implications being that his relationship with Trump was so broken that his presence is now counterproductive for Ukraine’s priorities.
—Lena Surzhko Harned, The Conversation, 3 Mar. 2025
Below, members of Forbes Technology Council share cybersecurity tools and initiatives that may not be as effective as they’re commonly believed to be—and in some cases, could even be counterproductive.
—Expert Panel®, Forbes, 7 Mar. 2025
Almost everywhere Trump tried economic coercion against adversaries, the results were lackluster or counterproductive.
—Nicholas Mulder, Foreign Affairs, 6 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for counterproductive
Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times, 12 Mar. 2025
In the aftermath of the dispute, Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham – who has been a staunch supporter of Ukraine – suggested that Zelenskyy should resign, the implications being that his relationship with Trump was so broken that his presence is now counterproductive for Ukraine’s priorities.
—Lena Surzhko Harned, The Conversation, 3 Mar. 2025
Below, members of Forbes Technology Council share cybersecurity tools and initiatives that may not be as effective as they’re commonly believed to be—and in some cases, could even be counterproductive.
—Expert Panel®, Forbes, 7 Mar. 2025
Almost everywhere Trump tried economic coercion against adversaries, the results were lackluster or counterproductive.
—Nicholas Mulder, Foreign Affairs, 6 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for counterproductive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for counterproductive
Adjective
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Nonetheless, Punk had two very unsuccessful, farcical moments in the Octagon, so there could be some credence to Paul’s thought that White wanted nothing else to do with a crossover fight from a WWE Superstar.—
Brian Mazique,
Forbes.com,
27 Mar. 2025
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Last May, students barricaded themselves inside the building—after dedicating it to the famed Palestinian painter who died in 2024 following unsuccessful appeals for a medical evacuation from Gaza— amid a rising wave of pro-Palestine demonstrations on college campuses across the United States.—
Tessa Solomon,
ARTnews.com,
27 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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The Bottlenecks Of Traditional Remediation In non-DevOps environments, fixing even a single vulnerability can be an inefficient, multi-team process.—
Edouard Viot,
Forbes,
18 Mar. 2025
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Meanwhile, Rozier had another inefficient night, shooting 2 for 9 with five points in 25 minutes off the bench.—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
16 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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But there’s little sense in safeguarding an ineffective K-12 status quo, particularly for students without wealth or social capital.—
Ryan Craig,
Forbes,
21 Mar. 2025
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The company identified material weaknesses in its internal control over financial reporting, primarily due to insufficient resources and ineffective controls related to financial reporting processes.—
Quartz Intelligence Newsroom,
Quartz,
20 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Counterproductive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/counterproductive. Accessed 2 Apr. 2025.
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