as in poisonous
bad for the well-being of the body
after inhaling the insalubrious city smog for a month, I was happy to once again breathe in the fresh air of the country
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Recent Examples of insalubrious
The refuse rising in insalubrious piles, some taller than the pedestrians trying to avoid them, is a smelly, visceral symbol of popular outrage at the government’s plan.
—
Catherine Porter, New York Times, 15 Mar. 2023
Many of the area's most insalubrious haunts are long gone, and in their place mostly restaurants, which come and go.
—Tom Page, CNN, 30 Jan. 2023
Exercise enjoys a health halo, justifying, for some of us, insalubrious habits.
—Gretchen Reynolds, Anchorage Daily News, 26 Jan. 2023
On the site of an important 19th-century water mill, in a somewhat insalubrious part of town, is a modest looking Mosque with a beautiful new artwork.
—Joanne Shurvell, Forbes, 3 Sep. 2021
Two figures, Gavin Williamson, the education secretary who has blown hot and cold over whether children can go back to school, and Robert Jenrick, the local-government minister, who is entangled in a scandal with an insalubrious party donor, look particularly dismal.
—The Economist, 20 June 2020
Catherine Porter, New York Times, 15 Mar. 2023
Many of the area's most insalubrious haunts are long gone, and in their place mostly restaurants, which come and go.
—Tom Page, CNN, 30 Jan. 2023
Exercise enjoys a health halo, justifying, for some of us, insalubrious habits.
—Gretchen Reynolds, Anchorage Daily News, 26 Jan. 2023
On the site of an important 19th-century water mill, in a somewhat insalubrious part of town, is a modest looking Mosque with a beautiful new artwork.
—Joanne Shurvell, Forbes, 3 Sep. 2021
Two figures, Gavin Williamson, the education secretary who has blown hot and cold over whether children can go back to school, and Robert Jenrick, the local-government minister, who is entangled in a scandal with an insalubrious party donor, look particularly dismal.
—The Economist, 20 June 2020
Recent Examples of Synonyms for insalubrious
Adjective
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The other problem is that many homes have more poisonous substances easily available than in the past, Willard said.—
Madeline Holcombe,
CNN Money,
9 Sep. 2025
-
Erin Patterson, who murdered three relatives with poisonous mushrooms, has been given a life prison sentence by the supreme court in Australia.—
Max Goldbart,
Deadline,
8 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The change comes amid concerns about fireworks causing unhealthful air.—
Rong-Gong Lin II,
Los Angeles Times,
19 June 2025
-
Health professionals encourage people to use lean cuts of meat because most of the fat in animal products is unhealthful saturated fat, which can raise the risk of heart disease and cancer.—
Bethany Thayer,
Detroit Free Press,
22 June 2024
Adjective
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Their path back to congressional power runs through winning swing districts and states in the 2026 midterm elections, where a connection to a Democratic Socialist would be politically toxic.—
Lauren Green,
The Washington Examiner,
16 Sep. 2025
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While exposure to most of the emitted fumes — which consist of unknown quantities of neurotoxins, carbon monoxide, and other chemicals — isn't toxic, long-term exposure can lead to more serious issues.—
Colson Thayer,
PEOPLE,
16 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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But unlike Materialists, those movies—pictures like Leo McCarey’s The Awful Truth or Preston Sturges’ The Palm Beach Story—emerged in a time when Hollywood censors were keeping a close eye on movies’ ideology, determined to protect audiences from unwholesome influences.—
Stephanie Zacharek,
Time,
13 June 2025
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By mid-afternoon the weather turned downright unwholesome.—
Arthur Grahame,
Outdoor Life,
4 June 2025
Adjective
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One of the most noxious of former President Joe Biden’s leftover regulatory rules applies to partnerships — an increasingly common form of business organization and expansion.—
Stephen Moore,
Boston Herald,
13 Sep. 2025
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Along with the swamp eels, scientists in the USGS Wetland and Aquatic Research Center have been most concerned about the spread of Cuban tree frogs, which secrete noxious chemicals that are harmful to humans, and alligatorweed, which clogs waterways that can impact infrastructure.—
Wesley Bruer,
CNN Money,
8 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Ryan didn’t waver about his feelings in a follow-up after his sickly outing.—
David Brown,
Twin Cities,
8 Sep. 2025
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Cinematographer James Friend creates a purgatorial realm of disorienting angles and neon lights too sickly to be beautiful, the nightmarishness further underlined by Volker Bertelman’s thundering score.—
Angie Han,
HollywoodReporter,
30 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Millions of people are denied that freedom every day—not by weak willpower, but by a system designed to make unhealthy living the default.—
William Warr,
Time,
15 Sep. 2025
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In these homes, the conflict between budgeting and feeding kids well creates huge psychological stress for parents, which can lead to anxiety and depression, fueling the vicious cycle of stress and unhealthy eating, Beresin said.—
Yasmin Tayag,
The Atlantic,
14 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Employees were observed to only sanitize their gloved hands after touching insanitary surfaces and then resumed touching RTE food and various food contact surfaces.—
Daniel R. Depetris,
Newsweek,
12 Jan. 2025
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In a civil complaint filed Sept. 27 in federal court, authorities allege that Rizo Lopez Foods violated the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act at the company’s facility in Modesto by manufacturing and distributing food products that have been prepared, packed or held under insanitary conditions.—
Karen Garcia,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Oct. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Insalubrious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/insalubrious. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
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