unhealthy

adjective

ˌən-ˈhel-thē How to pronounce unhealthy (audio)
Definition of unhealthynext
1
as in poisonous
bad for the well-being of the body we knew that the junk food at the carnival was unhealthy, but it tasted so good!

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2
as in dangerous
involving potential loss or injury criticism of the military dictatorship has proved to be unhealthy for several of that nation's journalists

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in sick
temporarily suffering from a disorder of the body she's been unhealthy for almost a week now

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of unhealthy The city said in a statement that the concentration of pollutants averaged 196 micrograms per cubic meter, which is considered an unhealthy level way above the normal range of about 3 to 9. — ABC News, 9 Oct. 2026 The crime genre almost demands a main character with an unhealthy work-life balance. — Marta Balaga, Variety, 8 Oct. 2026 Not every unhealthy environment can be fixed with resilience, better time management or stronger boundaries. — Nike Ajao, Forbes.com, 5 Oct. 2026 Nike told Vogue Business that Hill, who became CEO in 2024, has cleaned up unhealthy inventory, reset the marketplace, and created more space for a new series of Nike performance products and innovation. — Joe Bobowicz, Vogue, 2 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for unhealthy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unhealthy
  1. poisonous
  2. dangerous
  3. sick
  4. toxic
  5. hazardous
  6. bad
  7. unhealthful
  8. risky
Adjective
  • With the throne disengaged from governance, petitions and reports from officials piled up unread, crucial state posts went unfilled, and the imperial bureaucracy splintered amid poisonous factional infighting.
    — Carl Minzner, Foreign Affairs, 5 Oct. 2026
  • With this potential even more poisonous investments in the bloated and indebted Paramount behemoth, there’s even more reason to reject it.
    — Abigail Disney, New York Daily News, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of poisonous
Adjective
  • Swimmers should remain out of the water due to dangerous surf conditions.
    — NC Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 18 Oct. 2026
  • Fresh to strong winds will produce dangerous boating conditions, high surf, life-threatening rip currents, and moderate beach erosion through at least the first half of the coming week, forecasters said.
    — Felix Rodriguez, The Orlando Sentinel, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of dangerous
Adjective
  • The goats’ dire situation first came to light when a former dairy employee raised concerns after witnessing emaciated and sick animals on the property, the former employee told the Idaho Statesman last year.
    — Sally Krutzig, Idaho Statesman, 16 Oct. 2026
  • What’s interesting is that Conan Doyle got sick of writing Sherlock Holmes.
    — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of sick
Adjective
  • All of this means a highly unpredictable world is the brain’s worst nightmare—and the uncertainty that results can quickly become toxic.
    — Maia Szalavitz, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
  • The arrival of hunter-killer chemistry suggests this persistent toxic legacy might finally be coming to an end.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of toxic
Adjective
  • Ultimately, the greatest impacts will be determined by the storm's track, but periods of heavy rain and wind, along coastal flooding, beach erosion, and hazardous surf are a concern, especially for the Carolinas and mid-Atlantic.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Preliminary tests indicate the substance is not hazardous; the letters prompted evacuations and police responses, with no injuries reported in the California incidents described.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of hazardous
Adjective
  • Bajaria may also have hit thin ice with Sarandos after the streamer won just 16 Primetime Emmy Awards this year — its worst showing since 2016 and down from 30 in 2025.
    — Matt Donnelly, Variety, 16 Oct. 2026
  • The size of the boat, the distance from the tow boat's berth and how bad the boat is stuck will all factor into the final invoice.
    — Joe Kinsey OutKick, FOXNews.com, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of bad
Adjective
  • Warnings of unhealthful air quality remained in effect Saturday across a wide swath of the United States due to smoke from Canadian wildfires that has engulfed the Northeast in haze for days.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 18 July 2026
  • The soil may contain pathogens, pesticides and other unhealthful things.
    — Joan Morris, Mercury News, 9 Feb. 2026
Definition of unhealthful
Adjective
  • The fact fraternity alumni donate more makes getting rid of fraternities financially risky for schools.
    — Jens Ludwig, Chicago Tribune, 18 Oct. 2026
  • Representatives Lori Trahan and Jay Obernolte have advanced the FRONTIER Act, which would authorize government intervention against risky models and override some state laws.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of risky

Browse Nearby Words

unhealthiness
unhealthy
unheard-of
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Cite this Entry

“Unhealthy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unhealthy. Accessed 22 Oct. 2026.

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