counterproductiveadjective
uk/ˌkaʊn.tə.prəˈdʌk.tɪv/us/ˌkaʊn.t̬ɚ.prəˈdʌk.tɪv/having an effect that is opposite to the one intended or wanted:
Improved safety measures in cars can be counterproductive as they encourage people to drive faster.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Unsuccessful (people and things)
- abortive
- achiever
- barren
- be dead in the water idiom
- botched
- crowning
- flatline
- futile
- go/get/head nowhere idiom
- inauspicious
- lame duck
- no-win
- small-time
- stillborn
- struggling
- the doldrums
- unavailing
- unglued
- unpromising
- washed up
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