1
as in poisonous
bad for the well-being of the body
health inspectors shut down several food stands that were using tainted and unwholesome meat
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in corrupt
having or showing lowered moral character or standards
despite having been raised in such unwholesome environments as a brothel and a traveling circus, singer Edith Piaf rose to international stardom
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Recent Examples of unwholesome
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
Less visibly, Manton operated a side business with a more unwholesome objective: cashing in on his status and power as a judge.
—Time, 25 July 2023
In celebration of her return, everyone from comedian Melissa McCarthy, who’s playing the conniving nemesis of King Triton, to film historians, are taking the opportunity to pay tribute to the legendary drag queen who inspired Ursula’s unwholesome ways: Divine.
—Elaina Patton, NBC News, 26 May 2023
This syndrome originally surfaced in 1926, when residents of Haverhill, Massachusetts drank unwholesome milk and suffered soaring temps, aching joints, and skin lesions ranging from flat, red spots to papules, pustules, and blisters—the same telltale features earlier linked to bites.
—Claire Panosian Dunavan, Discover Magazine, 28 Feb. 2018
There was something indefinably unwholesome about him.
—Ian McEwan, The New Yorker, 1 Aug. 2022
And in more than 250 episodes, little-sister character Dora Winifred Read was a blissfully unwholesome role model for little girls: smart, funny, and unlikable.
—Jenny Singer, Glamour, 23 Feb. 2022
The air around Brainerd registers an unwholesome shade of brown.
—Star Tribune, 30 July 2021
But the urge to remove monuments, rename buildings and expunge holiday appellations has become an unwholesome obsession on the political left.
—The Editorial Board, WSJ, 13 June 2021
David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 16 Feb. 2024
Less visibly, Manton operated a side business with a more unwholesome objective: cashing in on his status and power as a judge.
—Time, 25 July 2023
In celebration of her return, everyone from comedian Melissa McCarthy, who’s playing the conniving nemesis of King Triton, to film historians, are taking the opportunity to pay tribute to the legendary drag queen who inspired Ursula’s unwholesome ways: Divine.
—Elaina Patton, NBC News, 26 May 2023
This syndrome originally surfaced in 1926, when residents of Haverhill, Massachusetts drank unwholesome milk and suffered soaring temps, aching joints, and skin lesions ranging from flat, red spots to papules, pustules, and blisters—the same telltale features earlier linked to bites.
—Claire Panosian Dunavan, Discover Magazine, 28 Feb. 2018
There was something indefinably unwholesome about him.
—Ian McEwan, The New Yorker, 1 Aug. 2022
And in more than 250 episodes, little-sister character Dora Winifred Read was a blissfully unwholesome role model for little girls: smart, funny, and unlikable.
—Jenny Singer, Glamour, 23 Feb. 2022
The air around Brainerd registers an unwholesome shade of brown.
—Star Tribune, 30 July 2021
But the urge to remove monuments, rename buildings and expunge holiday appellations has become an unwholesome obsession on the political left.
—The Editorial Board, WSJ, 13 June 2021
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unwholesome
Adjective
-
Perhaps even more interestingly, the bark and leaves of the Sambucus nigra are considered poisonous; the berries themselves must be cooked before consuming.—
Jeanne Ballion,
Vogue,
9 Feb. 2025
-
There is poisonous and lame political commentary all around us, and then there’s the work of Joy Reid.—
Rich Lowry,
National Review,
20 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
Several leagues away from her time on Game of Thrones, Christie now stars on the Apple TV+ thriller as Lorne, an enigmatic woman in charge of corrupt corporation Lumon’s even more enigmatic goats.—
Josh Wigler,
The Hollywood Reporter,
3 Feb. 2025
-
Worse, some corrupt scientists form peer review rings.—
Ars Technica,
Ars Technica,
31 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
The unhealthful effects of autocracy remain robust even when accounting for economic differences and when excluding Venezuela and its collapsing health-care system.—
Thomas J. Bollyky,
Foreign Affairs,
30 Jan. 2020
-
However, communities in the San Gabriel and San Bernardino mountains were still experiencing unhealthful air quality, according to the air district.—
Tony Briscoe,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Sep. 2024
Adjective
-
For Israeli officials, an operational window of opportunity to attack Iran is currently open, because of Iran’s degraded air defenses.—
Nicole Grajewski,
Foreign Affairs,
28 Jan. 2025
-
In poor cities with degraded water systems, low-income residents are burdened with overwhelmingly expensive water bills.—
Catherine Coleman Flowers,
TIME,
28 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
The lasting scars on the Gaza landscape are plain to see in the more than 360,000 structures − homes, schools, hospitals, mosques and other buildings − that lie in a vast expanse of toxic rubble.—
Stephen J. Beard,
USA TODAY,
11 Feb. 2025
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What worries me is that their relationship is pretty toxic.—
Abigail Van Buren,
Boston Herald,
10 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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And in one case, a person got it from handling sick and or dead birds in a backyard flock.—
Susanne Rust,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Feb. 2025
-
Dairy farmers with infected herds reported large die-offs of wild birds near their farms before their cows got sick, according to the USDA.—
Brenda Goodman,
CNN,
8 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
The 21 participating food companies pledged to cut back on marketing unhealthy foods to children under 12 — later revised to under 13.—
Maria Godoy,
NPR,
4 Feb. 2025
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The researchers suggested improvements to infrastructure to reduce traffic congestion, expand public transport and increase opportunities to work from home would all help combat unhealthy eating.—
Anders Fogh Rasmussen,
Newsweek,
4 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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When that ash contains the noxious remains of lithium-ion packs that have caught fire, in addition to lead and asbestos from home fires, cleaning up can be challenging, requiring special disposal procedures.—
Benjamin Svetkey and Julian Sancton,
The Hollywood Reporter,
31 Jan. 2025
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Trump, despite his noxious rhetoric over three presidential campaigns, never won the county.—
Gustavo Arellano,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near unwholesome
Cite this Entry
“Unwholesome.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unwholesome. Accessed 16 Feb. 2025.
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