1
as in poisonous
bad for the well-being of the body
health inspectors shut down several food stands that were using tainted and unwholesome meat
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2
as in corrupt
having or showing lowered moral character or standards
despite having been raised in such unwholesome environments as a brothel and a traveling circus, singer Edith Piaf rose to international stardom
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of unwholesome
As for the place, its veneer of comfortable tourism doesn’t hide the air of something unwholesome, especially when female guests start randomly throwing up.
—
David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 16 Feb. 2024
Less visibly, Manton operated a side business with a more unwholesome objective: cashing in on his status and power as a judge.
—Time, 25 July 2023
In celebration of her return, everyone from comedian Melissa McCarthy, who’s playing the conniving nemesis of King Triton, to film historians, are taking the opportunity to pay tribute to the legendary drag queen who inspired Ursula’s unwholesome ways: Divine.
—Elaina Patton, NBC News, 26 May 2023
This syndrome originally surfaced in 1926, when residents of Haverhill, Massachusetts drank unwholesome milk and suffered soaring temps, aching joints, and skin lesions ranging from flat, red spots to papules, pustules, and blisters—the same telltale features earlier linked to bites.
—Claire Panosian Dunavan, Discover Magazine, 28 Feb. 2018
There was something indefinably unwholesome about him.
—Ian McEwan, The New Yorker, 1 Aug. 2022
And in more than 250 episodes, little-sister character Dora Winifred Read was a blissfully unwholesome role model for little girls: smart, funny, and unlikable.
—Jenny Singer, Glamour, 23 Feb. 2022
The air around Brainerd registers an unwholesome shade of brown.
—Star Tribune, 30 July 2021
But the urge to remove monuments, rename buildings and expunge holiday appellations has become an unwholesome obsession on the political left.
—The Editorial Board, WSJ, 13 June 2021
David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 16 Feb. 2024
Less visibly, Manton operated a side business with a more unwholesome objective: cashing in on his status and power as a judge.
—Time, 25 July 2023
In celebration of her return, everyone from comedian Melissa McCarthy, who’s playing the conniving nemesis of King Triton, to film historians, are taking the opportunity to pay tribute to the legendary drag queen who inspired Ursula’s unwholesome ways: Divine.
—Elaina Patton, NBC News, 26 May 2023
This syndrome originally surfaced in 1926, when residents of Haverhill, Massachusetts drank unwholesome milk and suffered soaring temps, aching joints, and skin lesions ranging from flat, red spots to papules, pustules, and blisters—the same telltale features earlier linked to bites.
—Claire Panosian Dunavan, Discover Magazine, 28 Feb. 2018
There was something indefinably unwholesome about him.
—Ian McEwan, The New Yorker, 1 Aug. 2022
And in more than 250 episodes, little-sister character Dora Winifred Read was a blissfully unwholesome role model for little girls: smart, funny, and unlikable.
—Jenny Singer, Glamour, 23 Feb. 2022
The air around Brainerd registers an unwholesome shade of brown.
—Star Tribune, 30 July 2021
But the urge to remove monuments, rename buildings and expunge holiday appellations has become an unwholesome obsession on the political left.
—The Editorial Board, WSJ, 13 June 2021
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unwholesome
Adjective
-
But Palpatine's genius is less about those poisonous whispers than his plot to isolate Anakin from his friends.—
Richard Edwards,
Space.com,
24 Apr. 2025
-
The Big Bay Boom fireworks create a toxic fog of fine particles, poisonous aerosols and heavy metals that harm air, water and soil — posing serious risks to birds, wildlife, pets and people.—
U T Readers,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
22 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Rosamund Pike adds her name to the cast list, starring as a diamond seller whose family launders their profits through corrupt back-channels.—
Anna Kaufman,
USA Today,
1 May 2025
-
Countless cases have shown how these schemes have granted safe haven to corrupt actors from around the world and other suspicious individuals in the EU.—
Cecilia Rodriguez,
Forbes.com,
29 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
The unhealthful effects of autocracy remain robust even when accounting for economic differences and when excluding Venezuela and its collapsing health-care system.—
Thomas J. Bollyky,
Foreign Affairs,
30 Jan. 2020
-
However, communities in the San Gabriel and San Bernardino mountains were still experiencing unhealthful air quality, according to the air district.—
Tony Briscoe,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Sep. 2024
Adjective
-
This new species was found around villages and gardens, as well as in degraded habitats at a mine site.—
Stories by Real-Time news team, with AI summarization,
Miami Herald,
18 Apr. 2025
-
First, one neural network takes high-quality images from one instrument and simulates degraded images as if they were taken by a different, lower-quality instrument.—
Sharmila Kuthunur,
Space.com,
17 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Green 1 and 2: Both banned in 1965 due to a potential link to cancer. Sudan 1 and Butter Yellow: Banned in 1919 after it was found to be toxic and potentially carcinogenic.—
Mary Walrath-Holdridge,
USA Today,
24 Apr. 2025
-
The streets also expose them to all sorts of rodenticides, toxic plants, and chemicals, which can be fatal to felines.—
Ross Rosenfeld,
MSNBC Newsweek,
23 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Steward said his daughter, while surfing nearby, became sick with an infection from a type of bacteria called MRSA, which is resistant to many antibiotics.—
Ian James,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Apr. 2025
-
It seems squarely aimed at making kids sick by discouraging vaccination.—
Dan Vergano,
Scientific American,
23 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
April 2025 The Devil: April calls you to confront any attachments or patterns that may be holding you back, Scorpio, as The Devil urges you to break free from unhealthy cycles.—
Meghan Rose,
Glamour,
1 May 2025
-
In addition to direct health issues, MASH is linked to metabolic syndrome -- a group of conditions including high blood pressure, high blood sugar, excess belly fat and unhealthy cholesterol levels.—
Allen Chang,
ABC News,
30 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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These figures paint a disconcerting picture of the country’s efforts to combat noxious air quality, an ambition established with the original passage of the Clean Air Act in 1963 and reinforced by numerous amendments since.—
Henna Hundal,
Forbes.com,
1 May 2025
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As always, Trump is buoyed by his firm grip on the GOP and the noxious and juvenile nature of his opposition.—
The Editors,
National Review,
29 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Unwholesome.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unwholesome. Accessed 5 May. 2025.
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