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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Examples Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
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
-
The bill also had money to make solvent the World Trade Center Health Program to treat the heroes and victims of 9/11 who were sickened by the poisonous air rising up from Ground Zero.New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 20 Dec. 2024
-
In the wake of a global catastrophe where a poisonous cloud is killing everything alive, a group of family and friends gather for one last night of revelry.Huntley Woods, EW.com, 19 Dec. 2024
Adjective
-
Years after witnessing the brutal death of his mother at the hands of Rana Singh (Sikandar Kher), a corrupt cop, Kid (Patel), opts to lean into the eye-for-an-eye approach.Jennifer M. Wood, WIRED, 23 Dec. 2024
-
There’s a corrupt teacher who, while not quite as downright evil as the serial killer that was Mark Jefferson in the first game, has done some pretty bad things in the pursuit of recognition.Ryan Easby, Rolling Stone, 22 Dec. 2024
Adjective
-
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
-
According to the agency’s map, very unhealthy air levels were detected in the Chino Valley and San Bernardino areas, unhealthful levels in the eastern San Gabriel Valley as well as Pomona, Perris, Corona, Riverside areas and far northern Orange County.Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 9 Sep. 2024
Adjective
-
Their mission was supposed to take between eight and 10 days, but helium leaks in the capsule's propulsion system and degraded thrusters, which are important for re-entry, upended plans for bringing the astronauts back to Earth.Alex Sundby, CBS News, 18 Dec. 2024
-
McCarthy’s harrowing post apocalyptic tale of a boy and his father making their way through a wasteland populated by the degraded remains of human civilization is brilliantly adapted by Larcenet.Rob Salkowitz, Forbes, 13 Dec. 2024
Adjective
-
Russia has consistently denied using chemical weapons in Ukraine and, in turn, has accused Kyiv of employing toxic agents on the battlefield.Michael D. Carroll, Newsweek, 18 Dec. 2024
-
Russia has denied using any chemical weapons in Ukraine and, in turn, has accused Kyiv of using toxic agents in combat. Kirillov, who took his current job in 2017, was one of the most high-profile figures to level those accusations.Compiled byDemocrat-Gazette stafffrom wire reports, arkansasonline.com, 18 Dec. 2024
Adjective
-
The patient had been in contact with sick and dead birds in backyard flocks, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.Mike Stobbe and Jonel Aleccia, Los Angeles Times, 18 Dec. 2024
-
The agency said Wednesday that the person was exposed to sick and dead birds in backyard flocks; this is the first US bird flu case linked to a backyard flock.Jamie Gumbrecht, CNN, 18 Dec. 2024
Adjective
-
The obsessive mindset is unhealthy, as a drive for perfectionism can cause emotional exhaustion and even an identity crisis when things do not go as planned.Mark Travers, Forbes, 20 Dec. 2024
-
Consumers are right about that: The American food environment is unhealthy and disease-promoting, and the food industry bears much of the blame.Marina Bolotnikova, Vox, 19 Dec. 2024
Adjective
-
There are many noxious things about Trump, and perhaps even uncharged felonies somewhere in his life history, but for most people, what Bragg did in New York was a legal travesty that undercut belief in our criminal justice system and broader rule of law.Bradley Gitz, arkansasonline.com, 23 Dec. 2024
-
The county is seeking a court order to halt the noxious emissions as well as civil penalties for environmental and public health violations.Tony Briscoe, Los Angeles Times, 17 Dec. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near unwholesome
Cite this Entry
“Unwholesome.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unwholesome. Accessed 31 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share