1
as in barren
producing inferior or only a small amount of vegetation
crop rotation had prevented the farmland from becoming unproductive
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2
as in unsuccessful
producing no results
her attempts to write a novel have been unproductive
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Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of unproductive
Because drivers spending a minute or two searching for a package can rack up hour of unproductive time.
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Gene Marks, Forbes, 20 Oct. 2024
Basically, Harris wants more of the same unfair, unproductive tax handouts.
—Veronique De Rugy, Twin Cities, 16 Oct. 2024
The merged company has proposed converting two old, unproductive oil fields in Kern County into California’s first carbon capture and storage sites.
—Nayamin Martinez, The Mercury News, 11 Oct. 2024
Moving unproductive money to produce better outcomes is a win-win.
—Madeleine Parrish, The Arizona Republic, 2 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for unproductive 
Gene Marks, Forbes, 20 Oct. 2024
Basically, Harris wants more of the same unfair, unproductive tax handouts.
—Veronique De Rugy, Twin Cities, 16 Oct. 2024
The merged company has proposed converting two old, unproductive oil fields in Kern County into California’s first carbon capture and storage sites.
—Nayamin Martinez, The Mercury News, 11 Oct. 2024
Moving unproductive money to produce better outcomes is a win-win.
—Madeleine Parrish, The Arizona Republic, 2 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for unproductive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unproductive
Adjective
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Striking images from the Sahara Desert show large lakes etched into rolling sand dunes after one of the most arid, barren places in the world was hit with its first floods in decades.Laura Paddison, CNN, 14 Oct. 2024
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The result is a barren playa, wide swaths of sand and earth.Shaun McKinnon, The Arizona Republic, 28 Oct. 2024
Adjective
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In his unsuccessful 2020 race, Trump garnered almost 13,000 votes.Darcie Moran, Detroit Free Press, 20 Nov. 2024
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Riley's mother began to get worried, and phone records show that many of Riley's family members attempted to reach her but were unsuccessful.Charmaine Patterson, People.com, 20 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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Tesla’s version similarly depicts a man in a duster coat looking out over a desolate, orange cityscape.Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 21 Oct. 2024
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The rolling hills of Laikipia, located on the equator, give way to the vast, desolate sand dunes of the Suguta Valley below, before lakes flooded with flamingos come into view.Shaun Stanley, Travel + Leisure, 5 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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In 2016, more than 80 percent of Taiwanese people believed that resistance in a potential conflict with China would be futile; by 2022, the proportion of the population expressing this view had nearly halved to 43 percent.David Sacks, Foreign Affairs, 8 Nov. 2024
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After making a futile effort to revive Asahi with chest compressions, Masa orders No. 17 to sleep and then to wake again.Chris Klimek, Vulture, 28 Aug. 2024
Adjective
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Unfortunately, in recent years, Girl Scouts of the USA (GSUSA) has embraced and promoted an impoverished worldview regarding gender and sexuality.Enquirer staff, The Enquirer, 29 Oct. 2024
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On an international level, too..., one country’s climate response can easily leave another country impoverished, either through neglect, foolishness or outright malevolence.Saima S. Iqbal, Scientific American, 24 Oct. 2024
Adjective
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Wet down is generally useless—all those air pockets that trap heat are gone.Scott Gilbertson, WIRED, 22 Nov. 2024
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However, there's a 250MB limit on individual files, making Box's free version useless for anyone working with video or large audio files, such as podcast recordings.PCMAG, PCMAG, 11 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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Exposure to high concentrations can cause people to lose consciousness and can lead to long-term effects such as headaches, poor attention span, poor memory and poor motor function, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.Noelle Phillips, The Denver Post, 15 Nov. 2024
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More than 40% of pregnant people were exposed to extreme heat, and nearly three-quarters lived in areas with poor air quality, the report found.Erika Edwards, NBC News, 14 Nov. 2024
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
Thesaurus Entries Near unproductive
Cite this Entry
“Unproductive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unproductive. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.
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