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.
By attaching itself to Arc inside these microscopic vesicles, Tau is able to travel from an unhealthy neuron into a healthy one, where it can continue spreading disease.
From Science Daily • Jun. 30, 2026
Therefore, the thinking goes, these mega-IPOs must signal the type of unhealthy, euphoric market you see near the end of a bull run.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 25, 2026
He said adults in their 20s and 30s were ones who had grown up during a period when there was a boom in the unhealthy food market.
From BBC • Jun. 24, 2026
“Right now in some areas that were unhealthy yesterday, they’re good, or they’re moderate, and in other areas they’re still very unhealthy,” he said.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 23, 2026
Her skin had taken on an unhealthy pale green cast.
From "When Dimple Met Rishi" by Sandhya Menon
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.
