unwholesome

adjective

ˌən-ˈhōl-səm How to pronounce unwholesome (audio)
Definition of unwholesomenext
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 unwholesome 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 The public, however, knew what to expect from this unwholesome mixture of politics and celebrity and didn’t tune in. — Sean Williams, Harpers Magazine, 24 Feb. 2026 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unwholesome
  1. poisonous
  2. corrupt
  3. unhealthful
  4. degraded
  5. toxic
  6. sick
  7. unhealthy
  8. noxious
Adjective
  • But major questions remained about how much space exists inside the Earth to store the CO2, how effectively it could be monitored and whether the poisonous, concentrated gas would reliably stay underground.
    — Katie Worth, ProPublica, 30 Oct. 2026
  • Mirroring the poisonous arena featured in the movie, Grace paired her vibrant, beaded Almée Couture gown with a high ponytail, leaving her blond bangs out to frame her face.
    — Arushi Jacob, Footwear News, 29 Oct. 2026
Definition of poisonous
Adjective
  • Many progressives, led by Bernie Sanders, the independent senator from Vermont, also believe that a global oligarchy poses a threat to democracy and see big business in defense, technology, and finance as part of a corrupt system.
    — THOMAS WRIGHT, Foreign Affairs, 3 Nov. 2026
  • Donalds is just another gear in the Republican engine that is beholden to the wealthy the powerful and the corrupt — all at the expense of working-class Floridians.
    — Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 3 Nov. 2026
Definition of corrupt
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
  • Design choices previously thought to boost power, such as widening the gap between electrodes, actually degraded performance under true operating conditions.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Initially, Pike’s attorneys and several death penalty experts raised the possibility that the drugs may have been too old or degraded to work as intended.
    — Keri Blakinger, ProPublica, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of degraded
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
  • Ahead of Wednesday night’s game against the Buffalo Sabres, Ridly Greig was nursing his own lower-body injury, and Tyler Kleven was too sick to play.
    — Julian McKenzie, New York Times, 5 Nov. 2026
  • The state’s health department cautions that the true number is most certainly higher because not everyone who gets sick seeks medical care.
    — Jen Christensen, CNN Money, 5 Nov. 2026
Definition of sick
Adjective
  • For example, people taking the drugs typically consume fewer unhealthy foods and less alcohol in favor of healthier products.
    — Megan Cerullo, CBS News, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Schools in the state of Johor Bahru in Malaysia have also closed due to the air quality reaching unhealthy levels.
    — Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of unhealthy
Adjective
  • Two Mason jars, apparently filled with a noxious liquid, had been tossed through a window.
    — Ruby Cramer, New Yorker, 3 Nov. 2026
  • The council member has spent significant time in Boyle Heights following the Lineage fire, which burned down a massive cold food storage facility, sending noxious smoke into the heavily Latino neighborhood.
    — Noah Goldberg, Los Angeles Times, 1 Nov. 2026
Definition of noxious

Browse Nearby Words

unwellness
unwholesome
unwieldy
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Cite this Entry

“Unwholesome.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unwholesome. Accessed 8 Nov. 2026.

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