counterproductive

American  

[koun-ter-pruh-duhk-tiv] / ˌkaʊn tər prəˈdʌk tɪv /

adjective

1. thwarting the achievement of an intended goal; tending to defeat one's purpose.

   Living on credit while trying to save money is counterproductive.

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counterproductive British  

/ ˌkaʊntəprəˈdʌktɪv /

adjective

1. tending to hinder or act against the achievement of an aim

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Other Word Forms

• counterproductively adverb

Etymology

Origin of counterproductive

First recorded in 1960–65; counter- + productive

Example Sentences

Seven European leaders, including Sir Keir Starmer, issued a joint public statement emphasising, albeit in diplomatic language, their shared view that Washington's designs on Greenland are as absurd as they are counterproductive.

From BBC

But he warned the tactic could be counterproductive.

From BBC

But he soon came to realize that Saban-style drudgery could be counterproductive.

From The Wall Street Journal

Finding a stock with a juicy-looking yield can be counterproductive if the dividend ends up getting cut—a real risk when hunting for stocks with unusually high payouts.

From Barron's

“Officially ranking some recalls as more dangerous than others would be counterproductive” since it could result in drivers not addressing recalls deemed to be less severe.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• fruitless
• futile
• hopeless
• idle
• impractical
• incompetent
• ineffective
• ineffectual
• inoperative
• meaningless
• pointless
• stupid
• unproductive
• unworkable
• worthless