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View synonyms for unhealthy

unhealthy

[ uhn-hel-thee ]

adjective

, un·health·i·er, un·health·i·est.
  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: unhygienic, deleterious

  4. morally bad, harmful, or contaminating:

    unhealthy examples for the young.

  5. dangerous; risky:

    Asking questions in this neighborhood can be unhealthy.



unhealthy

/ 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


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Derived Forms

  • unˈhealthiness, noun
  • unˈhealthily, adverb
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Other Words From

  • un·healthi·ly adverb
  • un·healthi·ness noun
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Word History and Origins

Origin of unhealthy1

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

Eating disorders are a very real issue for a lot of young people and to see Kim Kardashian actively encouraging her fans to develop an unhealthy relationship with food is terrifying and gravely concerning.

From Time

I would have never dreamed that she would have lied to us like this so early on and sought out such unhealthy negative attention.

Participants tend to be interested in movement, eating well and avoiding unhealthy habits — and they support other community members’ exercise, Anderson found.

There are also cases in which it’s been effective to nudge people to stop unhealthy behaviors.

Avoid impulse purchasing unhealthy snacks or items you won’t realistically use.

Most of us have an unhealthy relationship with anger, writes author and psychologist Andrea Brandt.

Barbie is an unrealistic, unhealthy, insulting representation of female appearance.

Jordan Younger knew her raw vegan diet had become an unhealthy obsession when she started avoiding going out with friends.

You rigidly avoid any food you deem to be “unhealthy,” such as those containing fat, preservatives, additives or animal products.

More than 15 million Americans eat unhealthy food because nutritious meals are too expensive.

I presume the twenty-five or thirty miles at this end is unhealthy, even for natives, but it surely need not be so.

Where the dampness is excessive the fronds take on an unhealthy appearance, and mould may appear.

That community which does not improve in the region where the means of healthful increase are afforded, is in an unhealthy state.

What an agitation, and at the same time what an unhealthy stimulus to his over-sensibility!

He was in the position of a borrower driving a risky trade, or of a would-be insurer who leads an unhealthy life.

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