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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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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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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
-
Shauna, Van, and Akilah break free from the rest of the group and end up in a tunnel permeated by some sort of poisonous gas.—
Esther Zuckerman,
New York Times,
21 Feb. 2025
-
But perhaps more alarmingly, Seneca Meadows is currently sending poisonous, PFAS-laden runoff into the Hudson and your drinking water supply.—
Yvonne Taylor,
New York Daily News,
21 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
This is part of the most corrupt bargain in American history. KARL: But are their counterpunches having any impact at all?—
ABC News,
ABC News,
16 Feb. 2025
-
Eric Adams has been a lousy mayor for the most part, one who couldn’t see the loaf for the crumbs and squandered his political capital on maintaining a dizzying array of corrupt friends and cronies.—
Harry Siegel,
New York Daily News,
15 Feb. 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
-
Tragically, the Chesapeake remains significantly degraded and its overall water quality has improved only marginally after 41 years.—
Gerald Winegrad,
Baltimore Sun,
10 Feb. 2025
-
Against the backdrop of a degraded web, the improbable success of a volunteer-run website attempting to gather all the world’s knowledge is something to celebrate, not destroy.—
Lila Shroff,
The Atlantic,
5 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
Comments were largely supportive of the OP’s decision and rationale, with many noting that no one should feel guilty for protecting themselves from toxic people and behavior.—
Toria Sheffield,
People.com,
22 Feb. 2025
-
In addressing allegations of toxic work environment on The Bachelor franchise run by his clients, Weinstein referenced the recent the scrapping of The Bachelorette’s 2025 season.—
Peter White,
Deadline,
21 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
Gazans cheer, blast music as Hamas conducts sick parade of hostages Hamas paraded Israeli hostages Eliya Cohen, Omer Shem Tov and Omer Wenkert in front of a cheering crowd Saturday, before releasing them after more than 500 days in captivity.—
Landon Mion,
Fox News,
22 Feb. 2025
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One family has a sick child who could be heard crying in the background during a call between Herischi and Panamanian officials.—
Yong Xiong, Michael Rios, CNN and Ivonne Valdés,
CNN,
22 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
In this way, the Garrett situation could already be construed as an unhealthy one for the Browns in the court of veteran quarterback opinion.—
Zac Jackson,
The Athletic,
17 Feb. 2025
-
Another aspect of emotional eating is the process of specific cravings, usually including unhealthy, energy-dense foods.—
Allison Futterman,
Discover Magazine,
15 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
The past five years of noxious online discourse has been filling the air like smoke in a burning building, slowly at first, but now with terrifying velocity.—
Jeff Ihaza,
Rolling Stone,
13 Feb. 2025
-
In 2018, the legislature passed a farm bill that sharply limits when neighboring property owners can file nuisance lawsuits against farms producing odors or other noxious conditions.—
Ames Alexander,
Charlotte Observer,
26 Jan. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Unwholesome.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unwholesome. Accessed 3 Mar. 2025.
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