counterproductive
adj.adj. having the opposite effect of what you want. You use this when an action that is supposed to help actually makes a situation worse.
adj. producing an effect that is contrary to the intended purpose or desired result. Often used to describe policies, habits, or strategies that hinder progress.
Working through the night is often counterproductive because you make more mistakes.
The manager realized that micromanaging the team was counterproductive, as it lowered morale and slowed down production.
While the new security measures were intended to streamline the entry process, they proved counterproductive by creating significant bottlenecks at the main gates during peak hours.
From counter- + productive.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Typically follows a linking verb like 'be', 'become', or 'prove'.
Last updated May 9, 2026