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unhealthful

adjective

ˌən-ˈhelth-fəl How to pronounce unhealthful (audio)
Definition of unhealthfulnext
as in poisonous
bad for the well-being of the body the unhealthful level of smog in the city

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 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, 18 July 2026 The soil may contain pathogens, pesticides and other unhealthful things. — Joan Morris, Mercury News, 9 Feb. 2026 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
  1. poisonous
  2. toxic
  3. unhealthy
  4. unwholesome
  5. noxious
  6. insalubrious
  7. sickly
Adjective
  • This can come with high levels of metals such as nickel and vanadium, which can damage engines, and sulfur, which can be poisonous to people.
    — Adam Kovac, Scientific American, 24 Sep. 2026
  • The fourth, the Indian rhinoceros, is vulnerable, its habitat shrinking rapidly as fragmented and isolated population groups spread across a shattered landscape littered with invasive plant species poisonous to the animals.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of poisonous
Adjective
  • Just as O’Malley and Rahill’s work is infatuated with toxic masculinity and fratty hopecore, Bensinger’s is obsessed with sheepish dude-empaths hiding beneath layers of uneasy bravado.
    — Kathryn VanArendonk, Vulture, 21 Sep. 2026
  • Human toothpaste, for example, can contain xylitol, which is toxic to dogs.
    — Ryan Brennan, Charlotte Observer, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of toxic
Adjective
  • Mahony agreed that a bigger issue is how the deer population has overtaken the area, which has led deer to compete for resources and created unhealthy herds.
    — Gloria Casas, Chicago Tribune, 18 Sep. 2026
  • Healthy and unhealthy companies alike will bring in new blood to their boardrooms from time to time.
    — Rohan Goswami, semafor.com, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of unhealthy
Adjective
  • Their jail is strange and unwholesome.
    — Robert Rubsam, The Atlantic, 26 Mar. 2026
  • Grievous bodily harm, nonconsensual drugging, murder, yes…still, thank god there’s nothing unwholesome here, like say a man in a dress.
    — Dennis Harvey, Variety, 14 Mar. 2026
Definition of unwholesome
Adjective
  • Snyder visually embodies noxious, xenophobic attitudes towards the Global South.
    — Vikram Murthi, IndieWire, 14 Sep. 2026
  • Beneath Lamb’s unkempt appearance, crude manners, noxious flatulence, and stinging remarks lies one of the sharpest minds in MI5 and a man fiercely protective of his brood of misfits.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of noxious
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
Definition of insalubrious
Adjective
  • In particular, the image of the sickly, slumbering child recurs throughout Marcon’s work.
    — Matthew McLean, Artforum, 22 Sep. 2026
  • Eleanor, now sickly and desperate, clings to her husband completely unaware of his plans to leave her.
    — Jourdain Searles, HollywoodReporter, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of sickly

Browse Nearby Words

unharmed
unhealthful
unhealthiness
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Unhealthful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unhealthful. Accessed 26 Sep. 2026.

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