counterproductive

[ koun-ter-pruh-duhk-tiv ]

See synonyms for counterproductive on Thesaurus.com

adjective

thwarting the achievement of an intended goal; tending to defeat one's purpose: Living on credit while trying to save money is counterproductive.

Origin of counterproductive

First recorded in 1960–65; counter- + productive

Other words from counterproductive

coun·ter·pro·duc·tive·ly, adverb

Words Nearby counterproductive

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use counterproductive in a sentence

“In some ways it seems counterproductive to have all these news organizations based in the most expensive cities in America, especially with more remote workers now,” he said.
Publishers push plans to reopen offices until summer, but employees expect delays until 2022 | Sara Guaglione | January 28, 2021 | Digiday
He’s not able to move, and I don’t want him to be counterproductive right now.
The Howard Bison’s hopes for a dream basketball season have turned into a nightmare | Tramel Raggs | January 27, 2021 | Washington Post
Righteously scolding latecomers is gratifying but counterproductive to the cause — a self-centered move in its own right.
Meghan McCain learned about the need for maternity leave the hard way. Nobody should have to. | Monica Hesse | January 6, 2021 | Washington Post
The evidence is clear that this type of coaching is harmful for players and counterproductive to team-building.
Who’s The Most Chaotic Movie Football Coach? | Josh Hermsmeyer | December 4, 2020 | FiveThirtyEight
Tehran’s leadership will be aware of the risk that such a step could prove counterproductive.
From Wuhan Virus to Washington Virus | Daniel Malloy | October 4, 2020 | Ozy

Panic—and the inevitable panicking about the panic—is counterproductive.
Fighting Ebola and Starvation in Sierra Leone | Abby Haglage | November 5, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
Unfortunately, discussions about race and the NFL are rarely nuanced and are usually counterproductive.
Ex-NFL Linebacker: We Talk Around Race, Not About It | Carl Banks | October 23, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
Never mind that the effects of correction are bound to be negligible or, worse, counterproductive.
America’s Meddlers Are Our Worst Enemies | Stefan Beck | October 3, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
The concept of a ‘black community’ or ‘black America’ led by figures like Al Sharpton is counterproductive and, at best, outdated.
There's No Such Thing as 'Black America' | Ron Christie | August 27, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
As Rajdeep Singh noted, excluding Sikhs from the NYPD is counterproductive to the very idea of community-based policing.
New York’s Sikhs Need Their Own Al Sharpton | Dean Obeidallah | August 8, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
Idealizing all these possibilities would be as counterproductive as demonizing literacy-based practical experiences.
The Civilization of Illiteracy | Mihai Nadin
The leadership in Bulgaria, as did those in other Eastern European countries, learned that repression was counterproductive.
Area Handbook for Bulgaria | Eugene K. Keefe, Violeta D. Baluyut, William Giloane, Anne K. Long, James M. Moore, and Neda A. Walpole

British Dictionary definitions for counterproductive

counterproductive

/ (ˌkaʊntəprəˈdʌktɪv) /

adjective

tending to hinder or act against the achievement of an aim

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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