Definition

Not good for health; likely to cause illness or poor well-being.

Example

Eating too much junk food can lead to an unhealthy lifestyle.

Conversation

I’ve been eating a lot of fast food lately.

Yeah, that can be really unhealthy for you.

I know! I need to start cooking at home more often.

Definitely! Home-cooked meals are much better for your health.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Unhealthy → It is formed from "un-" (meaning not) and "healthy" (from Old English "halig", meaning whole or sound). The word "unhealthy" means not whole or sound, indicating a state of poor health.

Memory Tip

Think of 'not' ('un-') being added to 'healthy', which means the opposite of being in good health.

Visually Confused Words