Word
counterproductive
Phoneticscoun·ter·pro·duc·tive
US/ˈkaʊntɝpɹəˌdəktɪv/
UK/kˌaʊntəpɹədˈʌktɪv/
Definition
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.
Examples
“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.”
Examples
simple
“Working through the night is often counterproductive because you make more mistakes.”
contextual
“The manager realized that micromanaging the team was counterproductive, as it lowered morale and slowed down production.”
complex
“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.”
Usage
Typically follows a linking verb like 'be', 'become', or 'prove'.
Real-World Examples
“Public discussions often call for more fact-based debate , but we believe such a drive for hard truths may be counterproductive.” Etymology
From counter- + productive.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/counterproductive