uneconomic

/ˌʌnˌiːkəˈnɒmɪk/ (bre, ipa) · [ənˌɛkənˈɑmɪk] /ˌʌnˌiːkəˈnɑːmɪk/ (ame, ipa) · [ənˌɛkənˈɑmɪk] /ˌən-ˌe-kə-ˈnä-mik How to pronounce uneconomic (audio) -ˌē-kə-/ (ame, mw)

uneconomic — adjective

  • uneconomicpositive
  • more uneconomiccomparative
  • most uneconomicsuperlative

1. bringing in so little money that a business, route, or project is no longer wort

1.形容詞C2
釋義

bringing in so little money that a business, route, or project is no longer worth keeping open

例句

Owen kept the corner shop open, but rising rent made it uneconomic.

make + business + uneconomic

After fuel prices jumped, the fishing route became uneconomic for small boats.

become uneconomic after costs rise

同義詞
  • unprofitable

    closest general synonym; more common in everyday business English

  • loss-making

    focuses on actually losing money, often in reports

  • nonviable

    broader and more formal; can include practical failure beyond profit

反義詞
  • profitable

    earning enough money to justify continuing

  • viable

    able to keep operating successfully in practical terms

文法句型

become/remain uneconomic

make + business/service + uneconomic

用法筆記

Usually used for businesses, services, routes, or projects rather than for single objects. It often follows verbs like 'become', 'remain', and 'make'.

常見錯誤

❌My phone is uneconomic.
✅Repairing my phone is uneconomic.
💡the word usually describes an activity, service, or business, not an object by itself.
❌The farm is expensive, so it is uneconomic.
✅The farm is uneconomic because it cannot earn enough money.
💡'uneconomic' means not financially worth continuing, not simply costly.

2. using more time, money, fuel, or material than a sensible method should use, so

2.形容詞C2
釋義

using more time, money, fuel, or material than a sensible method should use, so the process wastes resources

例句

Shirin said printing every email was uneconomic and filled the bins by noon.

activity judged wasteful

The factory's old oven is uneconomic because it burns too much gas.

uneconomic because it uses excess fuel

同義詞
  • wasteful

    plainest synonym; stresses unnecessary loss of resources

  • inefficient

    broader; can mean slow or poorly organized as well as wasteful

  • extravagant

    suggests using more money or material than is reasonable

反義詞
  • economical

    using only the amount of money or material that is needed

  • efficient

    achieving the result without wasting time or resources

文法句型

be + uneconomic

prove uneconomic

用法筆記

This sense focuses on wasting resources, not on whether a business earns profit overall. It often describes methods, equipment, or routines that use too much fuel, labour, time, or material.

常見錯誤

❌The printer is uneconomic because nobody buys our products.
✅The printer is uneconomic because it uses too much ink.
💡this sense is about wasteful use of resources, not low sales.
❌The manager was uneconomic with time.
✅The manager's system was uneconomic and wasted staff time.
💡the adjective usually describes a process or method, not a person's character.