unproductive

adjective

ˌən-prə-ˈdək-tiv How to pronounce unproductive (audio)
Definition of unproductivenext
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

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of unproductive Oddly enough, Lewis — bedeviled by a series of injuries that included two season-ending knee surgeries since even before his MLB clock started ticking — has been healthy and unproductive. — John Shipley, Twin Cities, 29 May 2026 Starmer, a stellar lawyer before entering politics in 2015, failed to inspire or articulate a convincing plan to revive a country held back by creaking, unreformed public infrastructure and an unproductive economy. — Toby Helm, Time, 27 June 2026 Barriers to a meaningful life As digital natives, Gen Zers are aware of their attachment to screens, with more than half citing their unproductive use of technology as a significant barrier to developing a meaningful life. — Avni Trivedi, CNN Money, 24 June 2026 Commission officials reportedly flew to San Francisco last Thursday to press Anthropic executives directly, following weeks of unproductive negotiations. — Beatrice Nolan, Fortune, 2 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for unproductive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unproductive
  1. barren
  2. unsuccessful
  3. desolate
  4. futile
  5. impoverished
  6. useless
  7. poor
  8. waste
Adjective
  • The fires eviscerated many of the plants and trees in and around the burn zones, leaving behind barren lots and charred swaths of parkland.
    — Connor Sheets, Los Angeles Times, 26 June 2026
  • There are quite a few interesting options this summer, especially compared to last year’s barren goalie landscape that was headlined by veteran backups.
    — Jesse Granger, New York Times, 25 June 2026
Definition of barren
Adjective
  • Her 36-year-old NFL star boyfriend was also coming off another season playing for the Kansas City Chiefs, which ended with an unsuccessful campaign for a third consecutive Super Bowl ring.
    — Rachel Burchfield, InStyle, 4 July 2026
  • However, the efforts were unsuccessful, according to the statement.
    — Matt Lavietes, NBC news, 4 July 2026
Definition of unsuccessful
Adjective
  • Walking around the tiny outpost offers an understanding of just how vast and desolate this arid part of the country can be.
    — Maryam Siddiqi, Travel + Leisure, 30 June 2026
  • In the summer it had been packed with people out on the streets, by the fall is was desolate.
    — Bloomberg News, Boston Herald, 27 June 2026
Definition of desolate
Adjective
  • Exciting and futile The Humans to Titan Summit was both exciting and futile, said Pascal Lee, chairman of the Mars Institute and a planetary scientist at the SETI Institute.
    — Leonard David, Space.com, 3 July 2026
  • All these plans acknowledge the experience gap, namely that training without arranging relevant work experience is often futile.
    — Ryan Craig, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026
Definition of futile
Adjective
  • This British drama series follows a woman named Emma over the course of more than six decades of her life, from the 1900s through the 1970s, working her way from impoverished maid to the world’s richest woman.
    — Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 4 July 2026
  • Known as a Neglected Tropical Disease because of the lack of funding to fight it, schistosomiasis is a serious challenge for impoverished communities.
    — William McCarthy, NPR, 4 July 2026
Definition of impoverished
Adjective
  • At any rate, upon election my first official act would be to file legislation to do away with the useless job.
    — Peter Lucas, Boston Herald, 2 July 2026
  • An ultra-secure cloud environment is useless if the identity management policy is lax or if access privileges are not reviewed on a strict need-to-know basis.
    — Vicente Pava, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026
Definition of useless
Adjective
  • Overflowing poor drainage areas in urban areas of northwest Hickory and in the Northlakes area of Caldwell County.
    — NC Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 7 July 2026
  • There was a lot of poor decision-making with this match, on and off the pitch.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 7 July 2026
Definition of poor
Adjective
  • Recycling and anti-waste advocates counter that regulators weakened the law with exemptions and carve-outs that could undermine its environmental goals.
    — Bloomberg, Mercury News, 1 June 2026
  • 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
Definition of waste

Browse Nearby Words

unprocessed
unproductive
unprofessional
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Cite this Entry

“Unproductive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unproductive. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of unproductive for Spanish Speakers

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