insalubrious
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of insalubrious
1630–40; < Latin insalūbri ( s ) + -ous. See in- 3, salubrious
Explanation
Insalubrious is a formal way to say something is bad for your health. Whether it’s the smog in the city, the atmosphere at your workplace, or a load of coal tar — they all sound insalubrious. The word insalubrious came into English in the 17th century from the Latin word insalubris, a combination of in-, meaning "not," and salubris, meaning "healthful." That makes for a decidedly unhealthy combination, and the word even has a slightly disreputable sound to it, like you’ve been out doing something you shouldn’t be doing. But at the same time it’s slightly formal, in part because it’s somewhat unusual in modern usage. Use it as a fancy way to describe something unhealthy that’s also a little bit common — like Las Vegas or fried chicken.
Vocabulary lists containing insalubrious
Kim
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Louder than Hunger
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The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation (Volume 2)
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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.
It appears to be a posthumous work from Williams’ disastrous late period when he was drowning in insalubrious sensibility and no longer in control of his gifts.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 31, 2022
For years he dragged his wife Clarissa and their growing brood from town to town, renting ever more insalubrious houses, pawning their dwindling stock of possessions, and running up debts.
From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2019
And if you’re like the average American, more than half of your daily calorie intake comes from those insalubrious goodies.
From Time ● Nov. 2, 2016
Later the union of Caradoc and Aurora, now a zombie bride, is celebrated in an insalubrious nightclub.
From New York Times ● Jan. 2, 2013
He would have let the house, but could find no tenant, in consequence of its ineligible and insalubrious site.
From "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontë
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
