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.
—
Savannah Kuchar, USA TODAY, 1 Mar. 2025
So eventually, unspoken frustrations (socks on the floor, too many nights out, a pattern of flakiness) build into resentment, which can leak out in the form of unproductive, passive-aggressive comments or more explosive, potentially hurtful blowups.
—Jenna Ryu, SELF, 24 Jan. 2025
This is one of the main reasons so many difficult conversations derail into unproductive exercises in uncomfortable time-wasting.
—Jason Walker Psyd, Forbes, 19 Feb. 2025
President Trump says decades of unproductive U.S. diplomacy in the Middle East have failed to deliver peace and prosperity.
—Howard Lafranchi, The Christian Science Monitor, 5 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unproductive
Savannah Kuchar, USA TODAY, 1 Mar. 2025
So eventually, unspoken frustrations (socks on the floor, too many nights out, a pattern of flakiness) build into resentment, which can leak out in the form of unproductive, passive-aggressive comments or more explosive, potentially hurtful blowups.
—Jenna Ryu, SELF, 24 Jan. 2025
This is one of the main reasons so many difficult conversations derail into unproductive exercises in uncomfortable time-wasting.
—Jason Walker Psyd, Forbes, 19 Feb. 2025
President Trump says decades of unproductive U.S. diplomacy in the Middle East have failed to deliver peace and prosperity.
—Howard Lafranchi, The Christian Science Monitor, 5 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unproductive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unproductive
Adjective
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Charlie Parker’s Favorite Painting (1946) indicates Abercrombie’s engagement with social issues: a yellow noose, nearly fluorescent against a dishwater sky, dangles from a barren tree—an oblique lament from the doggedly antiracist Abercrombie.—
Jeremy Lybarger,
ARTnews.com,
26 Mar. 2025
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Meanwhile, the patch of skin to the ’22 trophy’s left looks almost barren.—
Sean Keeler,
Denver Post,
25 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Last year, Harry’s legal action against the Home Office was unsuccessful and the court initially refused him permission to appeal.—
Christian Edwards,
CNN Money,
8 Apr. 2025
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June became hopeful that the American rescue mission would lead to a reunion with her daughter, but that was unsuccessful.—
Abigail Lee,
Variety,
8 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Fourteen years of war have left the country desolate, and its people exhausted; millions have been displaced or were forced to become refugees.—
Raghed Waked & Justin Salhani,
The Dial,
25 Mar. 2025
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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
Adjective
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Impeachment of judges, however, is widely seen as a futile endeavor on Capitol Hill.—
Tara Suter,
The Hill,
3 Apr. 2025
-
The confrontation ends in an electric if futile horse chase.—
Amanda Whiting,
Vulture,
23 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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On the idyllic shores of the once popular tourist hot spot Inle Lake, in southern Shan state, the earthquake destroyed hundreds of bamboo houses on stilts occupied by impoverished villagers, according to aid workers.—
Ross Adkin,
CNN Money,
4 Apr. 2025
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These navigators link impoverished Floridians with the network of religious and community organizations that support them and teach them how to take of themselves, according to Hope Florida’s supporters.—
Jeffrey Schweers,
The Orlando Sentinel,
4 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Encryption serves as a critical line of defense by rendering intercepted data useless to unauthorized parties.—
Srikanth Bellamkonda,
Forbes.com,
26 Mar. 2025
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Because of this, even areas that are just open fields between pockets of good whitetail habitat, or a stand of mature timber that’s largely useless at this time, might provide medium- to long-range travel routes.—
Josh Honeycutt,
Outdoor Life,
20 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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There’s a real debate to be had about what responsibility better-off neighborhoods like Hyde Park have to help solve humanitarian problems that often are laid at the feet of poorer areas.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
6 Apr. 2025
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Job loss also results in people experiencing higher levels of depressive symptoms, poor health, loss of social support, and disruption of social and family ties, according to Jennie E Brand, author of The Far-Reaching Impact of Job Loss and Unemployment.—
Paul Klein,
Forbes.com,
5 Apr. 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
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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 13 Apr. 2025.
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