unhealthy

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adjective un·healthy \ˌən-ˈhel-thē\

Definition of unhealthy

unhealthier

;

unhealthiest

1 : not conducive to health : not healthful an unhealthy climate unhealthy habits unhealthy foods
2 : not in good health : sickly, diseased unhealthy animals
3a : risky, unsound an unhealthy economyb : of a harmful nature : bad, injurious unhealthy levels of leadc : morally contaminated : corrupt, unwholesome an unhealthy imagination

unhealthily

play \ˌən-ˈhel-thə-lē\ adverb

unhealthiness

play \ˌən-ˈhel-thē-nəs\ noun

See unhealthy defined for English-language learners

See unhealthy defined for kids

Examples of unhealthy in a Sentence

Her skin looks blotchy and unhealthy.
Tests revealed an unhealthy level of lead in the water.
Eating honey can be unhealthy for babies.
He was stuck in an unhealthy relationship.
She has an unhealthy interest in natural disasters.

Recent Examples of unhealthy from the Web

Forecasters believe ozone will make the air unhealthy for sensitive groups, including seniors, children, and people with breathing ailments like asthma and COPD.

— james bruggers, The Courier-Journal, "Smoggy skies return to Louisville area as officials call a pollution warning," 18 July 2017
The five warmest summers in Europe since 1500 have all occurred since 2002, and soon, the IPCC warns, simply being outdoors that time of year will be unhealthy for much of the globe.

— david wallace-wells, Daily Intelligencer, "When Will the Planet Be Too Hot For Humans? Much, Much Sooner Than You Imagine.," 9 July 2017
Numbers like that over the course of a full day would be considered quite unhealthy.

— james bruggers, The Courier-Journal, "Fireworks may have been a blast, but they sent Louisville pollution levels soaring," 5 July 2017
The camps near Sittwe are generally safer from attack but with unhealthy conditions and little chance to make a living.

— esther htusan, The Seattle Times, "Mob in western Myanmar kills Rohingya despite police guards," 4 July 2017
Feeling overwhelmed by these symptoms while also trying to function at home, work or school may lead to using alcohol or drugs as an unhealthy coping mechanism, which in turn may increase the risk for self-destructive acts, including suicide.

— by daniela david, m.d., miamiherald, "July 4th can bring additional stress to those with PTSD," 3 July 2017
The hosts continue: The president’s unhealthy obsession with our show has been in the public record for months, and we are seldom surprised by his posting nasty tweets about us.

— eric levitz, The Cut, "Morning Joe Hosts: Trump Threatened Negative National Enquirer Story If We Didn’t Beg for Mercy," 30 June 2017
Here's the lowdown on what's just hype and what's truly unhealthy. 1.

— lauren balsamo, Cosmopolitan, "What You Need to Know About These 5 Controversial Beauty Ingredients," 22 June 2017
The smoke and wind prompted the South Coast Air Quality Management District to issue a smoke advisory, warning of unhealthy air in the eastern San Bernardino Mountains.

— joseph serna, latimes.com, "Two firefighters suffer heat-related injuries battling 850-acre blaze near Big Bear Lake," 20 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'unhealthy.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of unhealthy

1595

UNHEALTHY Defined for English Language Learners

unhealthy

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adjective

Definition of unhealthy for English Language Learners

: not having or showing good health
: harmful to your health : likely to make you sick
: not doing well : not successful

UNHEALTHY Defined for Kids

unhealthy

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adjective un·healthy \ˌən-ˈhel-thē\

Definition of unhealthy for Students

unhealthier

;

unhealthiest

1 : not good for someone's health : promoting a state of poor health Smoking is an unhealthy habit.
2 : not in good health : sickly
3 : harmful, bad an unhealthy situation