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
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
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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
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However, planting vegetation under solar panels—as opposed to the more traditional method of siting solar arrays on somewhat barren land—can help cool them.—
Robert Pearlman,
ArsTechnica,
11 July 2025
Adjective
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First responders also attempted to revive Riccardo, but were unsuccessful, the outlet added.—
Toria Sheffield,
People.com,
12 July 2025
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All attempts to resuscitate the man were unsuccessful, Park Service officials said.—
Julia Gomez,
USA Today,
11 July 2025
Adjective
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Griffith also describes in vivid detail the desolate Hopi landscape and the villages atop the three mesas.—
Sandra Dallas,
Denver Post,
13 July 2025
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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
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This group saw military responses as futile, as Iran was assumed to have escalation dominance.—
JAMES JEFFREY,
Foreign Affairs,
4 July 2025
Adjective
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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
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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
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The price signals are useless because the government prohibited them from being useful.—
The Editors,
National Review,
30 June 2025
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The devices must also give consumers the option of deactivating such features, unless that action would render the device useless.—
Andrew Brown,
Hartford Courant,
24 June 2025
Adjective
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With poor finances, car and home loans will likely be rejected and life decisions like starting a family or getting married could be delayed significantly.—
Suzanne Blake,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 July 2025
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Here are the inspection scores and violations for restaurants within the city limits of Arlington for June 29th - July 5th, 2025 A score of 100 is a perfect score and 70 is considered to be extremely poor.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
11 July 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 18 Jul. 2025.
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