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
The grades are based on the number of days a county’s air reaches unhealthful levels when measuring ozone and particle pollution.
—
Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 17 Aug. 2024
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
See All Example Sentences for unhealthful
Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 17 Aug. 2024
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
See All Example Sentences for unhealthful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unhealthful
Adjective
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They are known to be foraging predators with tentacles that hold highly poisonous stinging cells, used for both hunting and self-defense, explains the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management.—
Ingrid Vasquez,
People.com,
22 Aug. 2025
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This is provided by vast data centers that burn through energy at rates comparable to small nations, creating poisonous emissions and noise pollution.—
Bernard Marr,
Forbes.com,
18 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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To build psychological safety, Murali says leaders must actively challenge toxic patterns such as bias, bullying and poor management.—
Sally Percy,
Forbes.com,
21 Aug. 2025
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An internal investigation by the company — just a single page buried in thousands of pages of state records — shows at least one toxic chemical spill has already occurred in the plant.—
Olivia Evans,
The Courier-Journal,
21 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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As of noon Saturday, air quality maps showed unhealthy levels in the areas surrounding the fire but better dispersion than Friday in neighboring communities like Calistoga and Pope Valley.—
Santa Rosa Press Democrat,
Mercury News,
25 Aug. 2025
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When air is stagnant, pollutants don't get dispersed, allowing ozone to build up to unhealthy levels.—
Joe Edwards,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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But unlike Materialists, those movies—pictures like Leo McCarey’s The Awful Truth or Preston Sturges’ The Palm Beach Story—emerged in a time when Hollywood censors were keeping a close eye on movies’ ideology, determined to protect audiences from unwholesome influences.—
Stephanie Zacharek,
Time,
13 June 2025
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By mid-afternoon the weather turned downright unwholesome.—
Arthur Grahame,
Outdoor Life,
4 June 2025
Adjective
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Miller also met people who’d been exposed to pesticides, breast implants, burn pits, and noxious fumes from chemical spills.—
Kate Raphael,
Discover Magazine,
23 June 2025
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The activists worry the line will harm birds and that construction and maintenance crews driving through the transmission line corridor will carry in noxious weeds and invasive species.—
Tony Schick,
ProPublica,
14 Aug. 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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There are some exceptions to this guideline, like when a neighbor allows a sickly tree to decline rather than taking care of the problem.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
19 Aug. 2025
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The sickly girl demands more time among the living.—
Carlos Aguilar,
Variety,
15 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Unhealthful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unhealthful. Accessed 4 Sep. 2025.
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