unhealthy
/ʌnˈhɛl.θi/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.72 in modern English
18
Scrabble Score
9
Letters
3
Syllables
8
Unique Chars
Meaning
adj
Characterized by, or conducive to poor health.
adj
Example Sentences
- "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."
- "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."
- "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.’"
- "He liked unhealthy reading material."
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.
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ʌnˈhɛl.θi/
- British English: /ʌnˈhɛl.θi/
Inflected Forms
unhealthier (comparative)
more unhealthy (comparative)
unhealthiest (superlative)
most unhealthy (superlative)