Dictionary

unhealthy en · ADJ

Pronunciation

• /ˈən.(h)el.d̪i/ (India, South)
• /ənˈhɛːl.t̪hi/ (India, North)
• (Southern-England) audio
• /ˈən.(h)el.t̪i/ (India, South)
• /ənˈhɛːl.d̪i/ (India, North)
• /ʌnˈhɛl.θi/ (General-American, Received-Pronunciation)

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *né Proto-Indo-European *n̥- Proto-Germanic *un- Proto-West Germanic *un- Old English un- Middle English un- English un- Proto-Indo-European *kéh₂ilos Proto-Germanic *hailaz Proto-Indo-European *-teh₂der. Proto-Germanic *-iþō Proto-Germanic *hailiþō Proto-West Germanic *hailiþu Old English hǣlþ Middle English helthe English health Proto-Indo-European *-kos Proto-Germanic *-gaz Proto-West Germanic *-g Old English -iġ Middle English -y English -y English healthy English unhealthy From un- + healthy.

Meanings

1. Characterized by, or conducive to poor health.
   • It makes up an estimated 73 percent of the U.S. food supply, and contains stereotypically “unhealthy” products like sodas, candies and hot dogs as well as seemingly “healthy” ones like whole grain breads, breakfast cereals, flavored yogurts and plant milks. 2024 September 5, Alice Callahan, “Are Some Ultraprocessed Foods Worse Than Others?”, in The New York Times, archived from the original on 14 Sep 2024:
   • The villagers lived in unhealthy surroundings.
   • “When left to their own devices, people who are extremely narcissistic in this unhealthy way are not going to change,” said Dr. Malkin, a lecturer at Harvard Medical School who was not involved in the research. 2024 July 11, Christina Caron, “Narcissism Is a Trait That’s Hard to Shake, Study Says”, in The New York Times, archived from the original on 13 Jul 2024:
2. Sick or ill.
   • He was an unhealthy child.
   • ‘And at once he'll be on his high-horse – he knows everything! – and he'll prove, prove, that all unhealthy children must be lethal-chambered or the world will go to pieces.’ 1924, Ford Madox Ford, Some Do Not… (Parade's End), Penguin, published 2012, page 39:
3. Tending to corrupt.
   • He liked unhealthy reading material.
4. Characterized by disturbed mental health.
   • He had an unhealthy interest in fire.

Forms

Antonyms

healthy

Deriveds

unhealthiness · unhealthily

Synonyms

diseased · unwholesome

Translations (47)

ca insalubre (conducive to poor health) · ru нездоро́вый (conducive to poor health) · ro nesănătos (conducive to poor health) · nl ongezond (conducive to poor health) · la aeger (conducive to poor health) · fr malsain (conducive to poor health) · hu egészségtelen (conducive to poor health) · pt insalubre (conducive to poor health) · pl niezdrowy (conducive to poor health) · fr mauvais pour la santé (conducive to poor health) · be нездаро́вы (conducive to poor health) · sk nezdravý (conducive to poor health) · kix tǖkāngkāng (conducive to poor health) · de gesundheitsschädlich (conducive to poor health) · tr sağlıksız (conducive to poor health) · fi epäterveellinen (conducive to poor health) · it insalubre (conducive to poor health) · sv hälsovådlig (conducive to poor health) · es malsano (conducive to poor health) · el νοσηρός (conducive to poor health) · el ανθυγιεινός (conducive to poor health) · ru нездоро́вый (characterized by disturbed mental health) · bg вре́ден (conducive to poor health) · bg нездраавословен (conducive to poor health) · et ebatervislik (conducive to poor health) · sv ohälsosam (conducive to poor health) · de ungesund (conducive to poor health) · hi अस्वस्थ (conducive to poor health) · sv sjuklig (characterized by disturbed mental health) · uk шкідли́вий (conducive to poor health) · az qeyri-sağlam (characterized by disturbed mental health) · uk нездоро́вий (conducive to poor health) · lb ongesond (conducive to poor health) · es no / poco / nada saludable / salutífero (conducive to poor health) · cs nezdravý (conducive to poor health) · hy վատառողջ (conducive to poor health) · es insalubre (conducive to poor health) · be шко́дны (conducive to poor health) · sv osund (characterized by disturbed mental health) · eo malsana (conducive to poor health) · ar غَيْر صِحِّيّ (conducive to poor health) · it malsano (conducive to poor health) · ru вре́дный (conducive to poor health) · be шкадлі́вы (conducive to poor health) · la aegrotus (conducive to poor health) · cy afiach (conducive to poor health) · izh vrednoi (conducive to poor health)