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:
They became ubiquitous in supermarkets across China, but gained a reputation as unhealthy and unsanitary -- an image latiao brands have spent years trying to counter.
From Barron's ● Aug. 14, 2026
Detractors responded in turn, worrying that Grande’s ardent fans were enabling the singer’s unhealthy behavior and speculated eating disorder.
From Salon ● Aug. 8, 2026
Obesity is a chronic health condition involving an unhealthy buildup of body fat.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 2, 2026
By the time many families arrive at his clinic, unhealthy habits have already become deeply ingrained.
From BBC ● Jul. 25, 2026
For that matter, he wouldn’t be able to tell a healthy sound from an unhealthy one.
From "The Diary of a Young Girl" by Anne Frank
"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
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
You say, we are likely to grow weaklier, unhealthier.
From Sanitary and Social Lectures, etc by Charles Kingsley
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
The Bronx, New York City's poorest borough, is ranked as the unhealthiest of New York's 62 counties.
From BBC ● Feb. 26, 2024
Both promoted self-care as a critical component of their platforms, the notion being that an activist community is only as healthy as its unhealthiest member.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 13, 2022
They were assigned a dwelling-place in the vilest and unhealthiest part of the city, and their quarter was called Ghetto, from the Hebrew nghedah, a congregation.
From Venetian Life by William Dean Howells
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.
