Meaning & use
maladaptive
Not providing useful or appropriate adjustment to a situation; counterproductive to well-being.
See it in a sentence
Avoiding every social event became a maladaptive way of coping with his anxiety.
Therapists help patients replace maladaptive habits with healthier coping strategies.
A note on using this word
Maladaptive is mainly a psychology term describing behavior that once helped someone cope but now causes harm.
Words with a similar meaning
dysfunctionalunhealthy
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Words with an opposite meaning
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