as in poisonous
bad for the well-being of the body
the unhealthful level of smog in the city
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 unhealthful
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
With fire comes unhealthful smoke, which also threatens air quality for much of the U.S.
Wildfire smoke blankets much of the East
Many of the areas experiencing wildfire smoke will see moderate air quality for the next several days, according to the U.S. Air Quality Index.
—Janet Loehrke, USA TODAY, 21 June 2024
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
See All Example Sentences for unhealthful
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
With fire comes unhealthful smoke, which also threatens air quality for much of the U.S.
Wildfire smoke blankets much of the East
Many of the areas experiencing wildfire smoke will see moderate air quality for the next several days, according to the U.S. Air Quality Index.
—Janet Loehrke, USA TODAY, 21 June 2024
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
See All Example Sentences for unhealthful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unhealthful
Adjective
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
By mid-afternoon the weather turned downright unwholesome.—
Arthur Grahame,
Outdoor Life,
4 June 2025
Adjective
-
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
-
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
-
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
Adjective
-
Ryan didn’t waver about his feelings in a follow-up after his sickly outing.—
David Brown,
Twin Cities,
8 Sep. 2025
-
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
Cite this Entry
“Unhealthful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unhealthful. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share