counterproductive
- adjective
- /ˌkaʊntərprəˈdʌktɪv/
- To bring them together is not only artificial but may prove counterproductive.
- prove counterproductive
- counterproductive policies
- even counterproductive
And it's counterproductive for a bra to not support your breast.
- And it's counterproductive for a bra to not support your breast.
- He thought that was a counterproductive strategy.
- I think it's really counterproductive to not have a limit on what you're learning.
- I don't know what percentage of human effort is spent in counterproductive activity.
- That's counterproductive and it makes the whole situation more hostile.
- And some lying could be very harmful and very counterproductive in the end.
- Or we we pursue things we are unconsciously wanting that are counterproductive to what will make us happy.
- When you censor and suppress information, it's counterproductive.
- Then, if that is Russia's goal, then invading Ukraine could scarcely be more counterproductive.
- It feels like getting hit in the face with a brick, and that's almost always counterproductive.
- And I think the Israelis lashed out in ways that are counterproductive.
- And, and then the second one would be, you mentioned, you mentioned that it was counterproductive to have your glucose go so high.
- We've done something dumb or wrong or, you know, counterproductive or socially disapproved.
- It's like we might as well, it's, it's counterproductive to like never speak of it.
Examples
-
Anything less allows the student to float aimlessly through the system and is counterproductive to lifelong learning.
Academic text (1993) -
Your lack of cooperation during these sessions is counterproductive to treatment.
-
Phone calls to the schools were found to be counterproductive, and no more calls were made.
Academic text (1999) -
Destruction of North Vietnam would have been counterproductive in terms of the larger U.S. goal of containing China.
Academic text (1991) -
The approaches and strategies we have discussed above were often counterproductive to the objectives sought.
Academic text (1992) -
That's counterproductive and it makes the whole situation more hostile.
-
Is there something inherently counterproductive about the way corporations are structured?
-
But the BBC proved counterproductive: instead of bringing Adkins closer to his religion, it pushed him away.
Academic text (2011) -
Sending angry emails is often counterproductive and can escalate the situation further.
-
The team's decision to ignore crucial feedback proved to be counterproductive to their project goals.
Synonyms
Acting in a way that hurts your own goals
Causing problems that make someone or something worse off
Making people do less work or get fewer results
Antonyms
How Counterproductive
Surface Forms
Morphology
counterproductive = productive (transparent) = counter + product + ive
The adjective 'productive' combined with the prefix 'counter-' yields a clear opposite/contrary meaning, which learners can infer.
Etymology
Counterproductive starts with counter-, meaning 'against', like in counterattack, and ends with productive, meaning 'making or producing'. So something that is counterproductive is working 'against' your goal and actually makes the problem worse.