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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of unproductive
Like Gonzalez, neither Joe and Tirso Ornelas were largely unproductive before returning to El Paso, albeit over much smaller samples.
—
Jeff Sanders, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 May 2025
Kelly Cunningham, San Diego Institute for Economic Research NO: Attempts at micromanaging the economy are unproductive and detrimental.
—Phillip Molnar, Mercury News, 16 May 2025
That’s led to a lot of debate over gun control that has become unproductive, especially at the national level.
—Jens Ludwig, Time, 15 May 2025
Instead, tax dollars are being siphoned off to fund unproductive and unnecessary programs that benefit radical interest groups while hurting hardworking American citizens.
—Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA Today, 29 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unproductive
Jeff Sanders, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 May 2025
Kelly Cunningham, San Diego Institute for Economic Research NO: Attempts at micromanaging the economy are unproductive and detrimental.
—Phillip Molnar, Mercury News, 16 May 2025
That’s led to a lot of debate over gun control that has become unproductive, especially at the national level.
—Jens Ludwig, Time, 15 May 2025
Instead, tax dollars are being siphoned off to fund unproductive and unnecessary programs that benefit radical interest groups while hurting hardworking American citizens.
—Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA Today, 29 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unproductive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unproductive
Adjective
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The festival was deliberately planned for the barren weeks in June after college students left and before the summer concert and festival season kicked in.—
Christopher Arnott,
Hartford Courant,
25 May 2025
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The Bureau’s new research station on Hawaii’s Mauna Loa volcano, with its high altitude and barren landscape, would prove to be the ideal collection spot.—
Ashley Braun,
Smithsonian Magazine,
19 May 2025
Adjective
-
Efforts to reach Suncor officials for this story were unsuccessful.—
Noelle Phillips,
Denver Post,
7 June 2025
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One game after the Oilers were unsuccessful in challenging that Bennett interfered with Stuart Skinner during the game’s first goal, Bennett toppled over Skinner after getting contact from Ekholm later in the period.—
Michael Russo,
New York Times,
7 June 2025
Adjective
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The location is on federal land just north of the U.S.-Mexico border along a desolate stretch of the Sonoran Desert about 72 miles south-southwest of Tucson.—
Doha Madani,
NBC news,
5 May 2025
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Even the trailers for Superman have echos of the Man of Steel and Batman v Superman trailers, including starting with Superman falling out of the sky into a desolate Arctic area.—
Mark Hughes,
Forbes.com,
26 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Cutting spending wasted on a futile pursuit of a global empire is not just a fiscal necessity.—
Ron Paul,
Oc Register,
20 May 2025
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Desperate Steve Kerr frequently toggled his non-Draymond Green big men as late as the second round of the playoffs in a futile effort to contain the giants of the Minnesota Timberwolves around the rim.—
Alex Kirschenbaum,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 May 2025
Adjective
-
During campaign events, Lee, who grew up in an impoverished farming household and toiled in factories as a child, spoke from behind bullet-proof glass to crowds, which were surveyed by rooftop police snipers.—
Charlie Campbell,
Time,
4 June 2025
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Curtis’ extraordinary talent is first recognized in kindergarten, when a charitable foundation donates instruments to his impoverished public school.—
Joan Gaylord,
Christian Science Monitor,
29 May 2025
Adjective
-
The character who can go through walls is useless, because beyond the walls is nothing but dirt.—
Katy Waldman,
New Yorker,
24 May 2025
-
And beyond… Generalizations can be either good or bad, useful or useless.—
Eli Amdur,
Forbes.com,
24 May 2025
Adjective
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This lack of preparation yields poor communication that worsens difficult situations and burns bridges between companies and fired employees.—
Nicole Tidei,
Forbes.com,
5 June 2025
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The risk extends even to children due to increasing rates of childhood obesity and poor dietary habits.20 As a result, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that healthy adults have their lipids checked every four to six years.—
MD Published,
Verywell Health,
5 June 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 10 Jun. 2025.
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