unhealthy

adjective

ˌən-ˈhel-thē How to pronounce unhealthy (audio)
Definition of unhealthynext
1
as in poisonous
bad for the well-being of the body we knew that the junk food at the carnival was unhealthy, but it tasted so good!

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in dangerous
involving potential loss or injury criticism of the military dictatorship has proved to be unhealthy for several of that nation's journalists

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in sick
temporarily suffering from a disorder of the body she's been unhealthy for almost a week now

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 unhealthy By 2024, the 60- and 70-year-olds in the study had blood pressure and unhealthy cholesterol levels similar to or even lower than older adults with normal BMI. — Elizabeth Cooney, STAT, 1 July 2026 People at risk include individuals with heart disease, asthma, older adults, children and pregnant women, although higher air quality index values can also indicate unhealthy levels of pollution for everyone, even those outside the at-risk groups. — Zachary Folk, Forbes.com, 5 July 2026 Any company sophisticated enough to design algorithms that maximize engagement should also be capable of developing systems that help users find valuable content without encouraging excessive or unhealthy use. — Larry Magid, Mercury News, 2 July 2026 And an Air Quality Alert was issued midday Thursday, due to ground level ozone concentrations reaching unhealthy standards, NWS forecasters say. — Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 2 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for unhealthy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unhealthy
  1. poisonous
  2. dangerous
  3. sick
  4. toxic
  5. hazardous
  6. bad
  7. unhealthful
  8. risky
Adjective
  • All of this played out against an increasingly poisonous political environment.
    — Eric Berger, ArsTechnica, 3 July 2026
  • Sago palm, oleander, foxglove, azaleas and lily of the valley are all common and all poisonous.
    — Ryan Brennan, Miami Herald, 2 July 2026
Definition of poisonous
Adjective
  • Teri handled higher-value finds and saw that potentially dangerous items – like firearms and knives – got to the local sheriff’s office.
    — Alisha Ebrahimji, CNN Money, 6 July 2026
  • Looking back through the sequence, Brazil have good numbers back and there is little need for anyone to overcommit — but a lazy tackle from behind leads to a free kick in a dangerous area.
    — Mark Carey, New York Times, 6 July 2026
Definition of dangerous
Adjective
  • If a sick animal did end up at a slaughterhouse, the US Department of Agriculture’s thorough meat inspection system would very likely spot it, separate it from others and deem it US Suspect.
    — Jen Christensen, CNN Money, 5 July 2026
  • But when McGinley was a teen-ager, Michael became sick with AIDS and moved home to New Jersey.
    — Chris Wiley, New Yorker, 4 July 2026
Definition of sick
Adjective
  • Decomposing food can release hydrogen sulfide, a toxic gas synonymous with landfills and garbage.
    — Tony Briscoe, Los Angeles Times, 2 July 2026
  • Low employee morale often grows from ongoing negative interactions and toxic workplace cultures.
    — Kate Wieczorek, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026
Definition of toxic
Adjective
  • Remain out of the water to avoid hazardous surf and NEVER turn your back on the ocean.
    — CA Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 6 July 2026
  • Response efforts were slowed as debris blocked roads and live wires created hazardous conditions.
    — Anthony Thompson, USA Today, 4 July 2026
Definition of hazardous
Adjective
  • That if you were deemed, as an enslaved person, if you were deemed troublesome or in some way unwanted, you would literally be sold down the river from the more northern states to the deeper south where you would potentially be treated even worse.
    — Dana Taylor, USA Today, 3 July 2026
  • Offer Real Value, Not Leftovers Most product bundles fail not because the idea is bad but because the execution misses what consumers actually want.
    — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026
Definition of bad
Adjective
  • From downtown Los Angeles to the San Gabriel Valley, tens of thousands were enveloped in unhealthful levels of smoke, even as some local officials told residents that the air posed no danger.
    — Tony Briscoe, Los Angeles Times, 2 July 2026
  • The soil may contain pathogens, pesticides and other unhealthful things.
    — Joan Morris, Mercury News, 9 Feb. 2026
Definition of unhealthful
Adjective
  • Achraf Hakimi looked to have another opportunity to take an open shot on goal in the 54th minute, until Dutch defender Micky van de Ven chased him down and made a risky tackle in the goal box.
    — Andrew Greif, NBC news, 30 June 2026
  • The groups that brought the lawsuit said the rule would require students to forgo their studies or take out riskier private loans.
    — Collin Binkley, Los Angeles Times, 30 June 2026
Definition of risky

Browse Nearby Words

unhealthiness
unhealthy
unheard-of
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Unhealthy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unhealthy. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on unhealthy

Nglish: Translation of unhealthy for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All