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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Recent Examples of unwholesome
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
Like its unwholesome protagonist, the film — and the roving camera of Vladislav Opelyants, shooting in gorgeously high-contrast black-and-white — is forever on the move, creating an immersive aesthetic experience that amounts to a big pile of nothing.
—Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 20 May 2025
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
Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 13 June 2025
By mid-afternoon the weather turned downright unwholesome.
—Arthur Grahame, Outdoor Life, 4 June 2025
Like its unwholesome protagonist, the film — and the roving camera of Vladislav Opelyants, shooting in gorgeously high-contrast black-and-white — is forever on the move, creating an immersive aesthetic experience that amounts to a big pile of nothing.
—Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 20 May 2025
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unwholesome
Adjective
-
If touched, the toad’s poisonous glands emit toxins that can be rapidly absorbed in your dog’s bloodstream and kill her quickly.—
Lois K. Solomon,
Sun Sentinel,
8 Aug. 2025
-
While every season is different depending on the location, some of the past challenges have included walking across a tightrope over a cliff, rescuing themselves from a sinking car and invading a crate filled with poisonous gases and chemicals.—
Caroline Blair,
People.com,
7 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
But these are only the 'official' statistics released by corrupt City Officials.—
Anna Commander,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 Aug. 2025
-
The Boys, a satirical drama about vigilantes who set out to take down corrupt superheroes, is gearing up for the release of its fifth and final season, expected sometime in 2026 on Prime Video.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
14 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
The change comes amid concerns about fireworks causing unhealthful air.—
Rong-Gong Lin II,
Los Angeles Times,
19 June 2025
-
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
Adjective
-
Smoke and particle pollution, primarily traced to wildfires burning in Canada, contributed to the degraded air quality, which officials said may persist until at least Thursday.—
Anna Skinner,
MSNBC Newsweek,
16 July 2025
-
On top of software setbacks, the OP said the vehicle's battery had to be replaced, but with a degraded unit that reduced range by 30 miles overnight.—
Thomas Westerholm,
MSNBC Newsweek,
21 July 2025
Adjective
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This is significant because melittin alone is highly toxic and can damage healthy tissues if not carefully controlled.—
Jasmine Laws,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 Aug. 2025
-
In other news: Pollution: The Louisville formaldehyde plant bordering a residential neighborhood will have two additional years to comply with toxic air emission rules.—
Leo Bertucci,
The Courier-Journal,
4 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Prater has a sick fascination with serial killers, collecting their trophies and even inviting the most notorious of them to gatherings at his mansion.—
Tim Lammers,
Forbes.com,
7 Aug. 2025
-
Today’s daily brief features the Texas governor ordering the arrest and expulsion of fleeing lawmakers, a video on the NYT weaponizing a sick toddler amid the starvation crisis in Gaza, and Israel is considering a plan to expand the war in Gaza.—
Armstrong Williams,
Baltimore Sun,
6 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Borgman chronicles how the show focused on entertainment over health and how contestants were belittled and encouraged to follow unhealthy weight loss methods, including consuming caffeine pills.—
Addie Morfoot,
Variety,
15 Aug. 2025
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Damage to the unhealthy leaves and bugs caught on a yellow sticky card trap are telltale signs.—
Andy Wilcox,
Better Homes & Gardens,
14 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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The activists worry the line will harm birds and that construction and maintenance crews driving through the transmission line corridor will carry in noxious weeds and invasive species.—
Tony Schick,
ProPublica,
14 Aug. 2025
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After a final sequence of emergences and contractions, the ciliate eventually got fed up, pulled up stakes and swam away, presumably looking for a less noxious place to settle down.—
Claire L. Evans,
Quanta Magazine,
30 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Unwholesome.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unwholesome. Accessed 22 Aug. 2025.
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