unhealthful

adjective

ˌən-ˈhelth-fəl How to pronounce unhealthful (audio)
Definition of unhealthfulnext
as in poisonous
bad for the well-being of the body the unhealthful level of smog in the city

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 unhealthful 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, 18 July 2026 The soil may contain pathogens, pesticides and other unhealthful things. — Joan Morris, Mercury News, 9 Feb. 2026 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 See All Example Sentences for unhealthful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unhealthful
  1. poisonous
  2. toxic
  3. unhealthy
  4. unwholesome
  5. noxious
  6. insalubrious
  7. sickly
Adjective
  • The lionfish's poisonous spikes can badly hurt anyone who’s stung.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 30 July 2026
  • Ensure that chewable cords and poisonous plants are far out of reach.
    — Madeline Gunderson, USA Today, 29 July 2026
Definition of poisonous
Adjective
  • For instance, puffer fish is toxic and potentially lethal if consumed by humans.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 30 July 2026
  • Biological labs working with deadly pathogens, finance companies trading billions of dollars, and chemical plants handling toxic chemicals all face oversight of their internal operations, not just their external products.
    — Jim Edwards, Fortune, 29 July 2026
Definition of toxic
Adjective
  • That said, a recent Europe-wide survey by EU-OSHA reveals that concerns about excessive heat are becoming increasingly universal, with one in five workers reporting unhealthy exposure to extreme temperatures and around one in eight to intense sun.
    — Oliver Balch, Fortune, 27 July 2026
  • Unsupportive or unhealthy work environments ranked first, followed by poor work-life balance and values misalignment.
    — Caroline Castrillon, Forbes.com, 27 July 2026
Definition of unhealthy
Adjective
  • 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
Definition of unwholesome
Adjective
  • Her essay is the quintessential death by a thousand withering cuts that is a noxious hallmark of academia.
    — ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 1 Aug. 2026
  • Most state and local regulations use terms such as exotic, noxious, prohibited and restricted instead of invasive.
    — Beth Botts, Chicago Tribune, 1 Aug. 2026
Definition of noxious
Adjective
  • The refuse rising in insalubrious piles, some taller than the pedestrians trying to avoid them, is a smelly, visceral symbol of popular outrage at the government’s plan.
    — Catherine Porter, New York Times, 15 Mar. 2023
  • Many of the area's most insalubrious haunts are long gone, and in their place mostly restaurants, which come and go.
    — Tom Page, CNN, 30 Jan. 2023
Definition of insalubrious
Adjective
  • Work took place in the spring and early summer and the pool was refilled in June, but an algae bloom returned just days later, turning the pool a sickly green color.
    — Mary Whitfill Roeloffs, Forbes.com, 26 June 2026
  • In the heyday of her career, her choppy hair, flat chest, sickly pallor and large darting eyes were a manic pixie dream.
    — Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 3 June 2026
Definition of sickly

Browse Nearby Words

unharmed
unhealthful
unhealthiness
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Unhealthful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unhealthful. Accessed 3 Aug. 2026.

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