unhealthy
Americanadjective
-
not in a state of good or normal health; in an unsound, weak, or morbid condition.
- Synonyms:
- sickly
-
symptomatic of or resulting from bad health.
an unhealthy pallor.
-
not conducive to good health; unhealthful.
Night air was formerly considered unhealthy.
- Synonyms:
- deleterious, unhygienic
-
morally bad, harmful, or contaminating.
unhealthy examples for the young.
-
dangerous; risky.
Asking questions in this neighborhood can be unhealthy.
adjective
-
characterized by ill-health; sick; unwell
-
characteristic of, conducive to, or resulting from ill-health
an unhealthy complexion
an unhealthy atmosphere
-
morbid or unwholesome
-
informal dangerous; risky
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of unhealthy
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
The haze also drove air quality in Singapore's central region to an "unhealthy" level on Friday, the country's National Environment Agency data showed.
From Barron's ● Sep. 5, 2026
Grande moves in a similar space, but without the satire to easily delineate the difference between healthy and unhealthy behaviors.
From Salon ● Aug. 8, 2026
We start talking about relationships and unhealthy withdrawal and letting things fester to the point that when the emotions come out, it feels abrupt and the other person has no idea what’s going on.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2026
Obesity is a chronic health condition involving an unhealthy buildup of body fat.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 2, 2026
Now, he couldn’t help thinking that Octavian looked like a watered-down, unhealthy version of Will Solace - like a photo that had been copied too many times.
From "Blood of Olympus" by Rick Riordan
She said unhealthier options now dominated "our supermarkets, corner shops and fast food outlets".
From BBC ● Jun. 24, 2026
Previous studies have shown that getting too little sleep can drive people toward unhealthier eating patterns, often higher in fat and sugar.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 25, 2025
Mohiuddin says he’s concerned that overtampering with the pig genome could lead to unhealthier pigs and lower-performing donor kidneys.
From Scientific American ● Oct. 11, 2023
Residents in unhealthier areas, such as those near freeways with dirtier air, also may suffer from higher rates of respiratory disease, putting them at greater risk.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 18, 2022
Ireland, it is seen, can still spare 100,000 or 150,000 males for the British armed forces and be in no unhealthier sex plight than Scotland or England is in.
From The Crime Against Europe A Possible Outcome of the War of 1914 by Roger Casement
Several factors have led to this remarkable change, which has helped turn the U.S. into one of the unhealthiest countries among the world’s advanced economies.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 5, 2025
Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks topped the list of national parks with the unhealthiest air in the country, followed by Joshua Tree National Park.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 20, 2024
Grande said they were "comparing my current body" to "the unhealthiest version of my body".
From BBC ● Apr. 12, 2023
"It's ironic because I was my thinnest when I was my unhealthiest," they said.
From Salon ● Oct. 28, 2022
For lack of energetic men in authority to deal with them, the border robbers plundered while the troops remained cooped up within the unhealthiest station on the list.
From Rung Ho! by Talbot Mundy
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
