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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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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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 unhealthy Research shows that parentified children are more prone to forming unhealthy attachments. — Parents, 17 Oct. 2026 Southern food may have a reputation for being heavy and unhealthy, but celebrity chef Tiffany Derry says that stereotype misses a big part of what's traditionally been served on tables across the South. — Peter Burke, FOXNews.com, 10 Oct. 2026 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 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
  • Now, a poisonous residue on the same crowbar has left him incapacitated.
    — Scott Tobias, Vulture, 21 Oct. 2026
  • This low-temperature, low-pressure hydrometallurgical method removes arsenic cleanly and operates without fossil fuels or poisonous gas emissions.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of poisonous
Adjective
  • People talking to an AI in an abusive and cruel way are more likely to be associated with trying to get the AI model to engage in dangerous requests, like trying to get around an AI’s safety guardrails, Campbell added.
    — Hadas Gold, CNN Money, 1 Nov. 2026
  • Hazing involves requiring new or potential recruits to the military or college fraternities to perform strenuous, humiliating or dangerous tasks.
    — Natasha Holt, FOXNews.com, 1 Nov. 2026
Definition of dangerous
Adjective
  • Pediatric staff members bring Halloween, Christmas, Easter, New Year’s Eve and even the Tooth Fairy to hospitalized sick kids.
    — Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 30 Oct. 2026
  • Documenting which children grew sickest and following an illness from house to house was a method aimed at articulating an explainable pattern.
    — Jim Downs, STAT, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of sick
Adjective
  • Gill and Krukoff separately pushed their way into Indigenous communities, bribing or cajoling elders to forage vines and process toxic plant compounds known as curare.
    — The New Yorker, New Yorker, 2 Nov. 2026
  • Concern over plastic in the kitchen and its affects on the endocrine system has been growing for the past few years, Nathan said, referencing a viral article that linked black plastics in the kitchen to alarming levels of toxic flame retardants.
    — Jordan Valinsky, CNN Money, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of toxic
Adjective
  • Forecasters said flash flood potential and hazardous coastal conditions across east Central Florida are the main concerns heading into the week.
    — Felix Rodriguez, The Orlando Sentinel, 1 Nov. 2026
  • Oil, gas and chemical plants are among the most hazardous and most costly places to operate.
    — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of hazardous
Adjective
  • The album’s experimental bent is also what keeps the music from slipping into parody or, even worse, po-faced sincerity.
    — Sadie Sartini Garner, Pitchfork, 30 Oct. 2026
  • Judges failing to award fees and government agencies unreasonably resisting paying them make the problem even worse.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 30 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
  • Taxing employment always has been a blunt way to raise money, albeit less risky when moving involved more friction.
    — Stuart Loren, Chicago Tribune, 30 Oct. 2026
  • In an extreme case, the government could skip bond sales and simply force banks to lend — a risky step that might undermine the stability of the banks and the entire financial system.
    — David McHugh, Los Angeles Times, 29 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 6 Nov. 2026.

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