unhealthy

adjective

un·healthy ˌən-ˈhel-thē

unhealthier; unhealthiest

Synonyms of unhealthy next

: not conducive to health : not healthful

an unhealthy climate

unhealthy habits

unhealthy foods

: not in good health : sickly, diseased

unhealthy animals

: risky, unsound

an unhealthy economy

: of a harmful nature : bad, injurious

unhealthy levels of lead

: morally contaminated : corrupt, unwholesome

an unhealthy imagination

unhealthily

ˌən-ˈhel-thə-lē

adverb

unhealthiness

ˌən-ˈhel-thē-nəs

noun

Example Sentences

Her skin looks blotchy and unhealthy. Tests revealed an unhealthy level of lead in the water. Eating honey can be unhealthy for babies. He was stuck in an unhealthy relationship. She has an unhealthy interest in natural disasters.

Recent Examples on the Web Is limerence unhealthy? —

Olivia Muenter, Woman's Day, 4 Apr. 2023 Individuals experiencing stress are also more likely to endorse unhealthy behaviors, like smoking, excessive drinking, substance use, lack of sleep and physical inactivity. —

Katia Hetter, CNN, 4 Apr. 2023 And evidence indicates the existence of these loans can facilitate unhealthy consumer behaviors that can trap people in debt. —

Jessica Roy, Los Angeles Times, 31 Mar. 2023 There have been plenty of studies that show that people of a quote-unquote normal weight—a significant amount of them will be metabolically unhealthy. —

David Remnick, The New Yorker, 25 Mar. 2023 How unhealthy is a hot dog? —

Bryant Stamford, The Courier-Journal, 23 Mar. 2023 Sandwiches are often unhealthy. —

Gretchen Tarrant, WSJ, 17 Mar. 2023 The agency said that exposure to even tiny amounts of the two most prominent PFAS is unhealthy. —

Claire Bugos, Verywell Health, 14 Mar. 2023 Sin taxes are often advanced for the dual purposes of raising revenue and deterring unhealthy behavior. —

Nana Ama Sarfo, Forbes, 23 Feb. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'unhealthy.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.