counterproductivecoun‧ter‧pro‧duc‧tive /ˌkaʊntəprəˈdʌktɪv◂ $ -tər-/ ●○○ adjective - A confrontation is really going to be counterproductive for everyone.
- Constant correction by a teacher is often counterproductive, as the student may become afraid to speak at all.
- Putting very young offenders in prison can be counterproductive.
- Being too available can be counterproductive.
- Counterpoints may therefore be counterproductive, especially if they are obscure.
- Is it not true that giving 17-year-olds fines does not work and sending them to prison is counterproductive?
- It would be counterproductive to do otherwise.
- This is a false and counterproductive approach; it is to true open-mindedness what glib moral relativism is to genuine tolerance.
- Thus replication begets replication, until the costs of these counterproductive activities finally bring the organization to a long-delayed breaking point.
to have the opposite effect to what was intended► backfire if a plan or action backfires , it is intended to do one thing but instead does the opposite: · His plan to get attention backfired, and instead of being promoted he lost his job.backfire on: · Trying to make your partner jealous by flirting with other people can easily backfire on you.
► self-defeating an action or plan that is self-defeating is not well planned or is badly done, so that it produces the opposite effect from the one intended: · Taxing poor people to pay for hospitals is always self- defeating.· Attempts to stir up nationalistic feeling at such times are bound to be self-defeating.
► counterproductive intended to make something better, but actually making it worse: · Putting very young offenders in prison can be counterproductive.· Constant correction by a teacher is often counterproductive, as the student may become afraid to speak at all.
nounproduceproducerproductproductionreproductionproductivityadjectiveproductive ≠ unproductivecounterproductivereproductivereproducibleverbproducereproduceadverbproductively