as in poisonous
bad for the well-being of the body
the unhealthful level of smog in the city
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Recent Examples of unhealthful
Health professionals encourage people to use lean cuts of meat because most of the fat in animal products is unhealthful saturated fat, which can raise the risk of heart disease and cancer.
—
Bethany Thayer, Detroit Free Press, 22 June 2024
With fire comes unhealthful smoke, which also threatens air quality for much of the U.S.
Wildfire smoke blankets much of the East
Many of the areas experiencing wildfire smoke will see moderate air quality for the next several days, according to the U.S. Air Quality Index.
—Janet Loehrke, USA TODAY, 21 June 2024
The map is color-coded to indicate whether the air is good, unhealthful or hazardous.
—Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 17 June 2024
In Los Angeles County, however, residents should avoid the water at certain coastal locations because the bacterial levels reached unhealthful levels when last tested, according to an L.A. County Department of Public Health news release.
—Summer Lin, Los Angeles Times, 22 May 2024
See All Example Sentences for unhealthful
Bethany Thayer, Detroit Free Press, 22 June 2024
With fire comes unhealthful smoke, which also threatens air quality for much of the U.S.
Wildfire smoke blankets much of the East
Many of the areas experiencing wildfire smoke will see moderate air quality for the next several days, according to the U.S. Air Quality Index.
—Janet Loehrke, USA TODAY, 21 June 2024
The map is color-coded to indicate whether the air is good, unhealthful or hazardous.
—Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 17 June 2024
In Los Angeles County, however, residents should avoid the water at certain coastal locations because the bacterial levels reached unhealthful levels when last tested, according to an L.A. County Department of Public Health news release.
—Summer Lin, Los Angeles Times, 22 May 2024
See All Example Sentences for unhealthful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unhealthful
Adjective
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Until this cycle of indoctrination of this poisonous hatred is stopped, there’s no chance in hell for real peace for the Middle East.—
David Draiman,
The Hollywood Reporter,
8 Mar. 2025
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Both Hackman and Arakawa tested negative for carbon monoxide poisoning, Mendoza said, but added that the pathologist would be the one to rule out the poisonous gas as the cause of death.—
Marlene Lenthang,
NBC News,
28 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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The study, published Feb. 24 in ACS Food Sciences & Technology, found that tea can remove toxic heavy metals like lead and cadmium from drinking water.—
Simon Spichak,
Health,
6 Mar. 2025
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The employees routinely complained about the toxic culture—micromanagement, frequent and unproductive meetings and public blame games.—
Kamales Lardi,
Forbes,
6 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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The concept may also perpetuate the unhealthy relationship people develop with their substance(s) of choice.—
Shiv Sudhakar,
Fox News,
27 Feb. 2025
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And while low in calories and loaded with nutritional benefits on its own, lettuce is often the base for unhealthy ingredients and creamy dressing commonly used in salads.—
Daryl Austin,
USA TODAY,
25 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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As for the place, its veneer of comfortable tourism doesn’t hide the air of something unwholesome, especially when female guests start randomly throwing up.—
David Rooney,
The Hollywood Reporter,
16 Feb. 2024
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Less visibly, Manton operated a side business with a more unwholesome objective: cashing in on his status and power as a judge.—
Time,
Time,
25 July 2023
Adjective
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The same goes for anti-fans; their dislike can turn noxious, and creators within this genre who attract their own devotees risk perpetuating the cycle.—
Shirley Li,
The Atlantic,
2 Mar. 2025
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No sunlight ever penetrated its depths, and the air is a noxious brew of toxic gases.—
Scott Travers,
Forbes,
2 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Two figures, Gavin Williamson, the education secretary who has blown hot and cold over whether children can go back to school, and Robert Jenrick, the local-government minister, who is entangled in a scandal with an insalubrious party donor, look particularly dismal.—
The Economist,
The Economist,
20 June 2020
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The refuse rising in insalubrious piles, some taller than the pedestrians trying to avoid them, is a smelly, visceral symbol of popular outrage at the government’s plan.—
Catherine Porter,
New York Times,
15 Mar. 2023
Adjective
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The water was a blur of teal fringed with rusty shadows, darkening, about twenty feet below, to a sickly emerald.—
Julian Lucas,
The New Yorker,
24 Feb. 2025
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Larry Shapiro, Calgary, Alberta Hamas has no conscience Seeing the sickly, gaunt faces of the three Israeli hostages released by Hamas in Gaza on Feb. 8 presented a clear picture of the loathing and deep hostility their abductors felt for them.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
15 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Unhealthful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unhealthful. Accessed 13 Mar. 2025.
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