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
Instead, tax dollars are being siphoned off to fund unproductive and unnecessary programs that benefit radical interest groups while hurting hardworking American citizens.
—
Joey Garrison, USA TODAY, 26 Feb. 2025
Players of his caliber, historically speaking, just don’t tend to have stretches this unproductive and maddening that last for this length of time.
—Thomas Drance, The Athletic, 22 Feb. 2025
Kelly Cunningham, San Diego Institute for Economic Research YES: Attempting to micromanage still evolving technology innovation is highly laden with unintended and unproductive consequences.
—Phillip Molnar, The Mercury News, 21 Feb. 2025
When wells proved unproductive or dry, companies often transferred ownership to landowners who repurposed them as water wells.
—Alejandra Martinez The Texas Tribune, arkansasonline.com, 9 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unproductive
Joey Garrison, USA TODAY, 26 Feb. 2025
Players of his caliber, historically speaking, just don’t tend to have stretches this unproductive and maddening that last for this length of time.
—Thomas Drance, The Athletic, 22 Feb. 2025
Kelly Cunningham, San Diego Institute for Economic Research YES: Attempting to micromanage still evolving technology innovation is highly laden with unintended and unproductive consequences.
—Phillip Molnar, The Mercury News, 21 Feb. 2025
When wells proved unproductive or dry, companies often transferred ownership to landowners who repurposed them as water wells.
—Alejandra Martinez The Texas Tribune, arkansasonline.com, 9 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unproductive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unproductive
Adjective
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This is where the montage sequences get really aggressive, assaulting the viewer with imagery of barren alien landscapes and skulls with the flesh melting off of their faces.—
Katie Rife,
IndieWire,
12 Mar. 2025
-
Even along the relatively mild coasts, where summer temperatures hover just below freezing, the land is a barren expanse of rock, ice and snow.—
Scott Travers,
Forbes,
8 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Nash’s cousin Allene Love told the Star-Telegram that family members’ efforts to obtain answers from police have been unsuccessful.—
Harriet Ramos,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
15 Mar. 2025
-
At least 24,000 probationary employees have been terminated since President Trump took office, the lawsuit alleges, though efforts by the judge to get an estimate from a government attorney at a hearing Wednesday were unsuccessful.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
13 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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That quality is maintained first and foremost by a desolate whistling-wind sound effect in the background of all the scenes, along with a sustained droning musical score.—
Ben Coxworth,
New Atlas,
14 Mar. 2025
-
But a tire mark left on a desolate road near a missing woman’s car changes everything.—
Ashlee Conour,
Chicago Tribune,
11 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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The data suggests that market timing is not a futile exercise but a skill - one that, like any other, is unevenly distributed and requires both technological sophistication and human insight to exploit effectively.—
Steven Desmyter,
Forbes,
5 Mar. 2025
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Former Vice President Mohammad-Ali Abtahi dismissed negotiations with Trump as futile, arguing that Trump's leadership made diplomacy ineffective.—
Gordon G. Chang,
Newsweek,
3 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Kicking Margulis and Dyson out of polite scientific society for these consensus violations would have impoverished science.—
Ross Andersen,
The Atlantic,
12 Mar. 2025
-
The nuances of being the older sibling, and especially the eldest daughter of an impoverished, fractured or immigrant family, are beginning to gain more traction in mainstream media.—
Aramide Tinubu,
Variety,
12 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
Landing on the Moon comes with numerous complications, including an often-uneven surface and the lack of an atmosphere, rendering parachutes useless.—
Ars Technica,
Ars Technica,
18 Mar. 2025
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This was quite the useless promo, and much of what Rollins said could have been saved for SmackDown.—
Alfred Konuwa,
Forbes,
17 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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But there is another concerning trend and area that has to be improved — their poor record on second balls.—
Rob Tanner,
The Athletic,
14 Mar. 2025
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The county’s response to the Tijuana River sewage crisis has been very poor.—
Emily Alvarenga,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
13 Mar. 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
-
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 23 Mar. 2025.
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