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
Seventy percent of the additional cuts come from demonstration roles at unproductive department stores and freestanding channels, indicating just how much more digital beauty has become and how much Lauder is looking to avenues like Amazon and TikTok for growth.
—
Evan Clark, Footwear News, 1 May 2026
Cuba has been in crisis ever since the Castro dynasty seized power and turned the country into one of the most unproductive and repressive places on earth.
—Carlos Eire, Time, 23 Apr. 2026
Other than his walk, Hernandez has been particularly unproductive at Coors Field.
—Bill Plunkett, Oc Register, 19 Apr. 2026
Companies won’t need whole teams to coordinate in clunky, unproductive meetings; one AI with a few humans will get the job done cheaper and faster.
—Solo Ceesay, Rolling Stone, 10 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for unproductive
Evan Clark, Footwear News, 1 May 2026
Cuba has been in crisis ever since the Castro dynasty seized power and turned the country into one of the most unproductive and repressive places on earth.
—Carlos Eire, Time, 23 Apr. 2026
Other than his walk, Hernandez has been particularly unproductive at Coors Field.
—Bill Plunkett, Oc Register, 19 Apr. 2026
Companies won’t need whole teams to coordinate in clunky, unproductive meetings; one AI with a few humans will get the job done cheaper and faster.
—Solo Ceesay, Rolling Stone, 10 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for unproductive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unproductive
Adjective
-
The front of their single-story bungalow, though, remained a barren conundrum.—
The Washington Post,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
30 May 2026
-
Falling leaves or barren branches?—
Austin Meek,
New York Times,
29 May 2026
Adjective
-
Attempts to interview him were unsuccessful.—
Sierra van der Brug,
Daily News,
28 May 2026
-
Trump has denied Carroll’s allegations against him and tried to appeal both verdicts but has been unsuccessful in both cases, putting him on the verge of having to pay out millions.—
Alison Durkee,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2026
Adjective
-
Situated at the entrance of Harvard’s Enterprise Research Campus in Boston’s Allston neighborhood, The Atlas Hotel helps define what was long a desolate area as a true innovation district.—
Marni Elyse Katz,
Architectural Digest,
25 May 2026
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The delicate pitter-patter of a drum’s cymbal is the only sound to break through the thick brick wall of the obscure performance venue, Sun Space, and reach the wide, desolate Sunland Boulevard.—
Christopher Buchanan,
Los Angeles Times,
18 May 2026
Adjective
-
The series follows an upstanding family man who spirals into a life of crime after killing someone in a bicycle accident, driven by the noble but futile goal of never hurting anyone ever again.—
Jesse Whittock,
Deadline,
17 May 2026
-
But this story has a happier, less futile ending.—
Deborah Treisman,
New Yorker,
17 May 2026
Adjective
-
CalFresh is the state version of the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, which sends an average $189 per month to low-income and impoverished Californians for food.—
Grant Stringer,
Mercury News,
26 May 2026
-
Rubio said Cuba’s current crisis should be blamed on the military officials behind GAESA, which has ransacked the country’s revenue for their benefit, leaving most Cubans impoverished.—
Nora Gámez Torres,
Miami Herald,
20 May 2026
Adjective
-
But keep it simple; detailed information is useless if children can’t digest it.—
Orlando Sentinel Staff,
The Orlando Sentinel,
24 May 2026
-
The code would typically write data to illicit access cards in such a way that the cards failed security checks and became useless for piracy.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
22 May 2026
Adjective
-
At this point the Red Sox are in serious danger, and the only reason the club is even within striking distance of a playoff spot is because the rest of the American League has been so poor.—
Mac Cerullo,
Boston Herald,
27 May 2026
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Putumayo is one of Colombia’s poorest and most troubled regions.—
Jacob Whitehead,
New York Times,
27 May 2026
Adjective
-
Shards of glass and ceramic, rusted metal, medical and bio-waste, syringes, cracked circuit boards, and broken electronics protruded everywhere.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
15 Apr. 2026
-
Its 2020 anti-waste law requires unsold nonfood goods to be reused, donated or recycled instead of destroyed.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
27 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Unproductive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unproductive. Accessed 31 May. 2026.
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