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:
Repeated exposure to unhealthy foods may gradually damage or disrupt communication between the gut and the brain, making it harder for the memory system to function normally.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 29, 2026
Staying, she said, is not just a nuisance but also unhealthy.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026
And that’s how it should be anyway, because that’s where the unhealthy germs are.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026
Add to this the sugar-hit snacking that keeps some shift workers going overnight and it makes for an extremely unhealthy cocktail.
From BBC ● Jul. 19, 2026
She was moved to a room on the side of the White House away from the unhealthy river air.
From "Ambushed!" by Gail Jarrow
If a significant proportion of shoppers believe that healthy products taste bad, the putting a healthiness-grade on the package will likely lead to them choosing unhealthier options.
From Salon ● Aug. 1, 2024
"In our study, we classified avocados as a vegetable and did see an increase in vegetable consumption attributed to the avocado intake, but also participants used the avocados to replace some unhealthier options."
From Science Daily ● Mar. 22, 2024
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
But ShareAction said it also wanted Nestle to reduce the amount of unhealthier foods it sells.
From BBC ● Apr. 19, 2023
After all, it had been an unhealthier spot a year ago than it yet threatened to become again.
From Notes of a Camp-Follower on the Western Front by Hornung, E. W. (Ernest William)
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
Grande added, "There are many different ways to look healthy and beautiful. I know personally for me, the body you've been comparing my current body to was the unhealthiest version of my body."
From Salon ● Nov. 21, 2024
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
On May 4th, we relieved the 6th Battalion in the right or "Route A Keep" sub-sector, undoubtedly the unhealthiest part of the whole Divisional front.
From The Sherwood Foresters in the Great War 1914 - 1919 History of the 1/8th Battalion by Weetman, W. C. C.
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.
