Standard Lemma guide

unhealthy

adj · 7 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • General-American, Received-Pronunciation: /ʌnˈhɛl.θi/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • India, North: /ənˈhɛːl.d̪i/
  • India, North: /ənˈhɛːl.t̪hi/
  • India, South: /ˈən.(h)el.d̪i/
  • India, South: /ˈən.(h)el.t̪i/
  • rhymes with -ɛlθi
  • CMU ARPABET: AH0 N HH EH1 L TH IY0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Characterized by, or conducive to poor health.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • The villagers lived in unhealthy surroundings.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Sick or ill.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • He was an unhealthy child.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

adj

Meaning 3

Tending to corrupt.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • He liked unhealthy reading material.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

adj

Meaning 4

Characterized by disturbed mental health.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • He had an unhealthy interest in fire.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

adjective

Meaning 5

not in or exhibiting good health in body or mind

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • unhealthy ulcers

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: healthy

6

adjective satellite

Meaning 6

not conducive to good health

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • an unhealthy diet of fast foods
  • an unhealthy climate

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

adjective satellite

Meaning 7

detrimental to health

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: insalubrious, unhealthful

Antonyms: none provided

History

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.

Across languages

Translations

47 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: غَيْر صِحِّيّ (ḡayr ṣiḥḥiyy) — conducive to poor health
  • Armenian: վատառողջ (vataṙoġǰ) — conducive to poor health
  • Belarusian: шкадлі́вы (škadlívy) — conducive to poor health
  • Belarusian: шко́дны (škódny) — conducive to poor health
  • Belarusian: нездаро́вы (njezdaróvy) — conducive to poor health
  • Bulgarian: вре́ден (vréden) — conducive to poor health
  • Bulgarian: нездраавословен (nezdraavosloven) — conducive to poor health
  • Catalan: insalubre — conducive to poor health
  • Czech: nezdravý — conducive to poor health
  • Dutch: ongezond — conducive to poor health
  • Esperanto: malsana — conducive to poor health
  • Estonian: ebatervislik — conducive to poor health
  • Finnish: epäterveellinen — conducive to poor health
  • French: malsain — conducive to poor health
  • French: mauvais pour la santé — conducive to poor health
  • German: ungesund — conducive to poor health
  • German: gesundheitsschädlich — conducive to poor health
  • Greek: νοσηρός (nosirós) — conducive to poor health
  • Greek: ανθυγιεινός (anthygieinós) — conducive to poor health
  • Hindi: अस्वस्थ (asvasth) — conducive to poor health
  • Hungarian: egészségtelen — conducive to poor health
  • Ingrian: vrednoi — conducive to poor health
  • Italian: malsano — conducive to poor health
  • Italian: insalubre — conducive to poor health
  • Latin: aeger — conducive to poor health
  • Latin: aegrotus — conducive to poor health
  • Luxembourgish: ongesond — conducive to poor health
  • Khiamniungan Naga: tǖkāngkāng — conducive to poor health
  • Polish: niezdrowy — conducive to poor health
  • Portuguese: insalubre — conducive to poor health
  • Romanian: nesănătos — conducive to poor health
  • Russian: вре́дный (vrédnyj) — conducive to poor health
  • Russian: нездоро́вый (nezdoróvyj) — conducive to poor health
  • Slovak: nezdravý — conducive to poor health
  • Spanish: insalubre — conducive to poor health
  • Spanish: no / poco / nada saludable / salutífero — conducive to poor health
  • Spanish: malsano — conducive to poor health
  • Swedish: ohälsosam — conducive to poor health
  • Swedish: hälsovådlig — conducive to poor health
  • Turkish: sağlıksız — conducive to poor health
  • Ukrainian: шкідли́вий (škidlývyj) — conducive to poor health
  • Ukrainian: нездоро́вий (nezdoróvyj) — conducive to poor health
  • Welsh: afiach — conducive to poor health
  • Azerbaijani: qeyri-sağlam — characterized by disturbed mental health
  • Russian: нездоро́вый (nezdoróvyj) — characterized by disturbed mental health
  • Swedish: osund — characterized by disturbed mental health
  • Swedish: sjuklig — characterized by disturbed mental health