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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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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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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
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
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
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
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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unwholesome
Adjective
-
The cane toad, also known as the bufo toad or the marine toad, is known for the large, poisonous glands behind its eyes that secrete toxins when it’s touched.
-
Berlin — Authorities across Germany have been battling an aggressive outbreak of poisonous caterpillars, which can cause severe health issues and have led to the closure of parks and other outdoor spaces, including in Berlin.
Adjective
-
Johnson County He was arrested last August on charges of abuse of office and corrupt influence.
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The kidnappings have been linked to run-ins with drug cartels and corrupt government officials, while there have also been cases involving young women who worked at the country’s many factories.
Adjective
-
Onshore winds are pushing smoke from the Sandy fire into Los Angeles County, where neighborhoods from the San Fernando Valley to Arcadia could face unhealthful air for sensitive groups.
-
The soil may contain pathogens, pesticides and other unhealthful things.
Adjective
-
Even when degraded, enzymes have stable backbones that might be capable of catalyzing reactions, said Sudha Rajamani, an astrobiologist at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Pune who wasn’t involved in the study.
-
According to the company, QTT enables highly secure and resilient position, navigation, and timing (PNT) services, helping maintain accurate timing and synchronization even when traditional GPS and radio-frequency signals are unavailable, degraded, or intentionally jammed.
Adjective
-
Another toxic chemical crisis A massive fire at a Boyle Heights cold-storage warehouse triggered an ammonia leak, explosions and shelter-in-place orders across Eastside neighborhoods.
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The agency said no significant levels of toxic metals were observed.
Adjective
-
Having a sick pet is emotionally a lot to handle.
-
Preventing infestation Just because one calf is sick doesn’t mean the entire herd will get it, Cammack said.
Adjective
-
Omega-3 supplements alone may not improve brain health, especially if paired with an unhealthy lifestyle.
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Employees aren’t exactly shunning their new coworkers, and in some cases may even be developing unhealthy relationships.
Adjective
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The thick, noxious smoke billowing out of a Los Angeles warehouse has been a fixture of the city’s skyline for almost a week as crews race to contain a fire at a cold-storage facility holding 85 million pounds of frozen food.
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Last year, it was widely reported that xAI was deploying dozens of portable combustion turbines to power its data centers, flooding the largely Black and working class communities nearby with noxious fumes.
Cite this Entry
“Unwholesome.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unwholesome. Accessed 27 Jun. 2026.
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