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
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.
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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
And in more than 250 episodes, little-sister character Dora Winifred Read was a blissfully unwholesome role model for little girls: smart, funny, and unlikable.
—Jenny Singer, Glamour, 23 Feb. 2022
The air around Brainerd registers an unwholesome shade of brown.
—Star Tribune, 30 July 2021
But the urge to remove monuments, rename buildings and expunge holiday appellations has become an unwholesome obsession on the political left.
—The Editorial Board, WSJ, 13 June 2021
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
And in more than 250 episodes, little-sister character Dora Winifred Read was a blissfully unwholesome role model for little girls: smart, funny, and unlikable.
—Jenny Singer, Glamour, 23 Feb. 2022
The air around Brainerd registers an unwholesome shade of brown.
—Star Tribune, 30 July 2021
But the urge to remove monuments, rename buildings and expunge holiday appellations has become an unwholesome obsession on the political left.
—The Editorial Board, WSJ, 13 June 2021
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unwholesome
Adjective
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Despite its reputation for being poisonous, popular poinsettia (Euphorbia pulcherrima) has only mild effects if nibbled, the ASPCA says.Erica Browne Grivas, Better Homes & Gardens, 24 Nov. 2024
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The plot is this: To stop a witness from testifying against him, a gangster stows away poisonous snakes in the cargo hold of a plane on which the witness is traveling.Mark Oppenheimer, The Hollywood Reporter, 25 Oct. 2024
Adjective
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The story in Chicago is that Morton is the corrupt overseer of the woman's prison that Hart has been sent to, after fatally shooting her paramour.Raechal Shewfelt, EW.com, 1 Dec. 2024
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Inexperienced developers may bypass data validation rules, resulting in corrupt or inconsistent business transactions.Kiran Yelamaneni, Forbes, 25 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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However, communities in the San Gabriel and San Bernardino mountains were still experiencing unhealthful air quality, according to the air district.Tony Briscoe, Los Angeles Times, 14 Sep. 2024
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According to the agency’s map, very unhealthy air levels were detected in the Chino Valley and San Bernardino areas, unhealthful levels in the eastern San Gabriel Valley as well as Pomona, Perris, Corona, Riverside areas and far northern Orange County.Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 9 Sep. 2024
Adjective
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Her purpose was to explore how the newest generation of farmers are working to create a more sustainable and regenerative agriculture when things are only getting more expensive, soil is more degraded, and food systems are more industrial.Devorah Lev-Tov, Smithsonian Magazine, 26 Nov. 2024
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There’s bits and pieces that are more degraded than other sections.Jonathan Cohen, SPIN, 26 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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The heavy ad load had a toxic effect on the TV ecosystem.Jonathan Bing, Deadline, 22 Nov. 2024
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However, methanol becomes formaldehyde—a cancer-causing chemical used in industrial glues and embalming corpses—and formate, or formic acid, which is a strong and toxic acid.Matt Robison, Newsweek, 21 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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The vaccine doesn’t prevent 100% of infections, but those who are vaccinated and still get sick typically have milder illness, according to the CDC.Rong-Gong Lin II, Los Angeles Times, 22 Nov. 2024
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The news of additional cases comes days after the Minnesota Department of Health confirmed 11 people got sick eating the contaminated meat between Oct. 31 and Nov. 7.Mary Whitfill Roeloffs, Forbes, 21 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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Setting boundaries, removing yourself from unhealthy situations, or forgiving the version of you that said yes to those people or things is vital now in your process of moving on.Meghan Rose, Glamour, 1 Dec. 2024
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Healthy food is on average twice as expensive per calorie than unhealthy food, CNBC reported in 2023.Jay Reddick, Orlando Sentinel, 30 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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Indoor plastics, furniture, paint, and flooring off-gas noxious fumes too.Lisa Wood Shapiro, WIRED, 28 Nov. 2024
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Along with the noxious smell, the cosmonauts also noticed droplets floating in the air, leading the hatch to the Progress to be immediately shut, and the Russian module closed off to the rest of the ISS while air quality levels were tested and scrubbed.Jess Thomson, Newsweek, 26 Nov. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near unwholesome
Cite this Entry
“Unwholesome.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unwholesome. Accessed 7 Dec. 2024.
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