Timeline for What's the word for undoing progress?
Current License: CC BY-SA 3.0
5 events
| when toggle format | what | by | license | comment | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 8, 2017 at 8:48 | comment | added | Kaithar | I would agree, the difference is intent. Regressive is definite and intentional direction while counterproductive is neither. Counterproductive is a closer synonym for unhelpful and unproductive since neither require regression, only a lack of progress. | |
| Feb 7, 2017 at 22:50 | comment | added | Cameron | I realize that technically speaking, from the first sentence of the question's use of the word progress, regressive is correct, however the question also specified wasting time and gave the example of unproductive, leading me to assume the asker of this question is referring to progress on a project or something work-related. Regressive has more connotations of devolution and actively moving backwards, whereas counterproductive implies that one is trying to make progress on what they are working on but are failing. | |
| Feb 7, 2017 at 22:44 | comment | added | Darren Ringer | This is right in terms of filling in the example, but indeed "regressive" is the answer to the question. In the old analogy style, "Productive" is to "Counterproductive" as "Progress" is to "Regress". The term "progressive" does not usually mean quite the same thing as "making progress" so this is the main reason, I think, why "counterproductive" would be the preferred term here (regressive, while correct, implies juxtaposition against the wrong term). | |
| Feb 6, 2017 at 22:28 | vote | accept | Jamie | ||
| Feb 6, 2017 at 22:12 | history | answered | Cameron | CC BY-SA 3.0 |