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
Relevance
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
Some of what’s ailed McDavid can be laid at the feet of a power play that’s been mostly unproductive in the series.
—
Daniel Nugent-Bowman, New York Times, 16 June 2025
That said, the 31-year-old first baseman been unproductive the entire season.
—Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 4 June 2025
The essentially unproductive Communist system, if restrained, would eventually collapse.
—Arthur I. Cyr, Chicago Tribune, 11 June 2025
Distinguish between productive discomfort (that drives growth) and unproductive distress (that triggers FOBO).
—Michael Hudson, Forbes.com, 29 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for unproductive
Daniel Nugent-Bowman, New York Times, 16 June 2025
That said, the 31-year-old first baseman been unproductive the entire season.
—Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 4 June 2025
The essentially unproductive Communist system, if restrained, would eventually collapse.
—Arthur I. Cyr, Chicago Tribune, 11 June 2025
Distinguish between productive discomfort (that drives growth) and unproductive distress (that triggers FOBO).
—Michael Hudson, Forbes.com, 29 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for unproductive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unproductive
Adjective
-
The jetliner heading to Nairobi lost control shortly after takeoff from Addis Ababa Bole International Airport and nose-dived into a barren patch of land.—
arkansasonline.com,
arkansasonline.com,
13 July 2025
-
Bandits, raiders, and more monsters crawl the barren landscape.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
11 July 2025
Adjective
-
First responders also attempted to revive Riccardo, but were unsuccessful, the outlet added.—
Toria Sheffield,
People.com,
12 July 2025
-
All attempts to resuscitate the man were unsuccessful, Park Service officials said.—
Julia Gomez,
USA Today,
11 July 2025
Adjective
-
Griffith also describes in vivid detail the desolate Hopi landscape and the villages atop the three mesas.—
Sandra Dallas,
Denver Post,
13 July 2025
-
Despite its desolate appearance, Bouvet is surprisingly rich in bird life.—
Scott Travers,
Forbes.com,
12 July 2025
Adjective
-
Go with the flow, but not toward the beach: Trying to swim directly toward the beach when caught in a rip current is futile and exhausting.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
6 July 2025
-
This group saw military responses as futile, as Iran was assumed to have escalation dominance.—
JAMES JEFFREY,
Foreign Affairs,
4 July 2025
Adjective
-
Many are located in impoverished barrios dominated by criminals — who are now demanding a cut of their tuition fees.—
John Otis,
NPR,
7 July 2025
-
The ignorant need cultural immersion at the American Museum of the Cuban Diaspora, which tells the story of those who fled the Cuban island that went from a free, prosperous republic to an oppressive, impoverished dictatorship within a single generation.—
Luka Ladan,
New York Daily News,
5 July 2025
Adjective
-
Towns and hamlets have been largely pulverized along the front lines and for miles beyond; even American air defenses are mostly useless, because setting them up invites an immediate Russian attack.—
Dexter Filkins,
New Yorker,
14 July 2025
-
Apart from evidence, some of the most important testimonies in the case were also deemed useless during the investigation.—
Alex Gurley,
People.com,
12 July 2025
Adjective
-
For certain situations, particularly if someone is in poor health, experts generally say claiming early makes sense.—
Lorie Konish,
CNBC,
11 July 2025
-
This last group is those with still poor (<50) RS Ratings, but strong (>80) 3-month RS Ratings. a.—
Randy Watts,
Forbes.com,
11 July 2025
Adjective
-
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 19 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share