as in poisonous
bad for the well-being of the body
the unhealthful level of smog in the city
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
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
-
Looking at her computer's search history, investigators found that Patterson looked up a website listing sightings of the poisonous mushroom.—
Britt Clennett,
ABC News,
30 May 2025
-
The poisonous kernels are responsible for a significant number of suicides and homicides, particularly in rural areas of South Asia.—
Nina Foster,
JSTOR Daily,
30 May 2025
Adjective
-
As explained by Hill's Pet Nutrition, spicy food can be toxic for dogs and can lead to excessive thirst or even vomiting.—
Alyce Collins,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 May 2025
-
The explosion of money in the game in the past few years has made things only more toxic.—
Joe Rexrode,
New York Times,
29 May 2025
Adjective
-
The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency declared an Air Pollution Action Day because widespread ozone and or particulate levels are expected to be at or above the unhealthy for sensitive groups category.—
Deanese Williams-Harris,
Chicago Tribune,
5 June 2025
-
Air quality has reached unhealthy conditions in states such as Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan.—
Brayden Garcia,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
4 June 2025
Adjective
-
Like its unwholesome protagonist, the film — and the roving camera of Vladislav Opelyants, shooting in gorgeously high-contrast black-and-white — is forever on the move, creating an immersive aesthetic experience that amounts to a big pile of nothing.—
Jordan Mintzer,
HollywoodReporter,
20 May 2025
-
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
Adjective
-
Decaying sargassum poses health risks, emits noxious gases, and smothers marine habitats and tourist beaches alike, underscoring a cascading set of environmental and economic challenges well beyond the Caribbean islands.—
Sophie Clark,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 June 2025
-
That combination of higher prices, uncertainty and pessimism can be outright noxious as pullbacks in consumer and business spending can have cascading negative effects on the labor market and the broader economy.—
Alicia Wallace,
CNN Money,
1 June 2025
Adjective
-
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
-
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
-
As a sickly boy raised by two women, young Darin was smothered with affection.—
Jordan Runtagh,
People.com,
22 May 2025
-
Lambrusco became synonymous with that sickly tipple—which bore no resemblance to the refreshingly dry and crisp Lambrusco guzzled by Italians.—
Simon Willis,
Travel + Leisure,
10 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Unhealthful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unhealthful. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share