counterproductive
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counterproductive
Working against an intention or goal; producing the opposite of the desired or intended effect.
Die Mitarbeiter ständig zu kontrollieren, war kontraproduktiv und zerstörte jegliches Vertrauen.
Constantly monitoring the employees was counterproductive and destroyed all trust.
The word is composed of the Latin prefix 'kontra' (against) and the word 'produktiv' (productive). So something is 'kontraproduktiv' (counterproductive) when it works 'against productivity' or against the actual goal.
Ohne Plan zu arbeiten, erwies sich als kontraproduktiv.
Working without a plan proved to be counterproductive.
This adjective often describes abstract nouns. Common combinations are 'kontraproduktives Verhalten' (counterproductive behavior), 'eine kontraproduktive Maßnahme' (a counterproductive measure), or 'eine kontraproduktive Diskussion' (a counterproductive discussion).
Die neue Regel war für die Motivation der Mitarbeiter kontraproduktiv.
The new rule was counterproductive for the employees' motivation.
'Kontraproduktiv' can stand before a noun or be used with verbs like 'sein' (to be), 'wirken' (to seem/have an effect), or 'erscheinen' (to appear) to describe a state.
Das war eine kontraproduktive Entscheidung.
That was a counterproductive decision.
The word 'kontraproduktiv' belongs more to formal language. It is often used in professional, political, or academic discussions.
In der Besprechung wurde analysiert, warum die bisherige Strategie kontraproduktiv war.
In the meeting, they analyzed why the previous strategy had been counterproductive.
harmful
'schädlich' and 'kontraproduktiv' both describe something negative. 'schädlich' means that something causes harm, for example to health, the environment, an object, or even a person's reputation. 'kontraproduktiv' is used when something works against a goal. So it does not make the situation better, but prevents the desired success. The difference is: 'schädlich' asks about the harm, while 'kontraproduktiv' asks about the goal. A lot of sugar can be harmful to your health. Constant pressure can be counterproductive if someone is supposed to learn better.
Wenn wir schneller fertig werden wollen, ist langes Streiten kontraproduktiv.
If we want to finish faster, arguing for a long time is counterproductive.
Zu viel Lärm ist auf Dauer schädlich für die Gesundheit.
Too much noise is harmful to your health in the long run.