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Showing results for unhealthy. Search instead for unhealthily.
Synonyms

unhealthy

American  
[uhn-hel-thee] / ʌnˈhɛl θi /

adjective

unhealthier, unhealthiest

  1. not in a state of good or normal health; in an unsound, weak, or morbid condition.

    Synonyms:
    sickly

  2. symptomatic of or resulting from bad health.

    an unhealthy pallor.

  3. not conducive to good health; unhealthful.

    Night air was formerly considered unhealthy.
    Synonyms:
    deleterious, unhygienic

  4. morally bad, harmful, or contaminating.

    unhealthy examples for the young.

  5. dangerous; risky.

    Asking questions in this neighborhood can be unhealthy.
unhealthy British  
/ ʌnˈhɛlθɪ /

adjective

  1. characterized by ill-health; sick; unwell

  2. characteristic of, conducive to, or resulting from ill-health

    an unhealthy complexion

    an unhealthy atmosphere

  3. morbid or unwholesome

  4. informal dangerous; risky

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • unhealthily adverb
  • unhealthiness noun

Etymology

Origin of unhealthy

First recorded in 1585–95; un- 1 + healthy

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 said the company's actions may have helped fuel so-called "cosmeticorexia" - an unhealthy obsession with skincare in young people experts believe may be on the rise.

From BBC • Mar. 29, 2026

Stage 2, very unhealthy — keep the kids inside.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 26, 2026

And then there’s the fact that not all obese people are unhealthy.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 18, 2026

“In our experience, quarterly earnings guidance often leads to an unhealthy focus on short-term profits at the expense of long-term strategy, growth and sustainability,” Buffett and Dimon said.

From Barron's • Mar. 17, 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

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.