unhealthy
gb/ʌnhˈɛlθi/ us/ʌnhˈɛlθi/
A2
Anglais
~ 9800
Sens
0 sens
adjective
A2
property
1
harmful to physical health
not good for your body and may make you sick, especially about food, habits, or the way you live
Schéma d’usage :
an unhealthy [food / habit / lifestyle / diet]
Erreur fréquente :
Learners sometimes use *unhealthy* only for people and forget it is very common with food and habits (e.g. *unhealthy food*, *unhealthy lifestyle*). They may also say *it is very much unhealthy*; more natural is *it is very unhealthy* or *it is really unhealthy*.
Synonymes
harmful (more general; not limited to health, but can include it.)
|
bad for you (informal phrase, very common with food and habits.)
|
unwholesome (slightly formal or old-fashioned, often about food or atmosphere.)
Antonymes
healthy (general opposite; good for your body or health.)
|
wholesome (suggests something good for health and well-being, especially food or activities.)
Collocations
unhealthy diet
|unhealthy lifestyle
|unhealthy food
|unhealthy habit
|unhealthy eating
|unhealthy environment
Thèmes
health
|food
|daily life
|food_drink
|core_vocabulary
Exemples
- Eating a lot of sugary snacks is unhealthy in the long term.
- He decided to change his unhealthy lifestyle after a health scare.
- The doctor warned her that her diet was extremely unhealthy.
- Working night shifts in that noisy factory is really unhealthy.
- They grew up in a crowded, unhealthy environment with poor air quality.
Exemples pédagogiques
- Fast food is often very unhealthy.
- She stopped her unhealthy habit of smoking.
- He wants to move away from his unhealthy lifestyle.
- Too much screen time can be unhealthy for your eyes.
- The air in this city is unhealthy to breathe.
adjective
B1
state
2
in poor physical health
not healthy; in bad physical condition or looking like you are sick
Schéma d’usage :
[someone / something] looks unhealthy
Erreur fréquente :
Learners sometimes say *I am unhealthy today* when they mean *I feel sick / I feel unwell today*. *Unhealthy* usually describes a longer-term state or general condition, not a short, temporary feeling.
Synonymes
sickly (suggests someone who is often ill or physically weak.)
|
unwell (general word meaning slightly ill; less about appearance.)
Antonymes
healthy (general opposite; in good physical condition.)
|
fit (emphasizes good physical condition, often through exercise.)
Collocations
unhealthy child
|unhealthy appearance
|unhealthy complexion
|unhealthy weight
|unhealthy skin
Thèmes
health
|body
|core_vocabulary
Exemples
- The child looked pale and unhealthy after weeks in bed.
- Years of heavy drinking had left him thin and unhealthy.
- Her skin has become unhealthy because she never goes outside.
- The vet said the dog was overweight and unhealthy.
- He was clearly unhealthy, coughing constantly and out of breath after a short walk.
Exemples pédagogiques
- He looks unhealthy after his long illness.
- The doctor says I am overweight and unhealthy.
- Her hair and skin are unhealthy because she does not eat well.
- The baby was small and unhealthy at birth.
- My grandfather is old but not unhealthy.
adjective
B2
property
3
harmful to mental or emotional health
bad for your mind or feelings, for example a relationship or place that makes you feel stressed or unhappy
Schéma d’usage :
an unhealthy [relationship / atmosphere / dynamic / culture]
Erreur fréquente :
Learners sometimes use only *toxic* for bad relationships and forget that *unhealthy* is also very common and slightly more neutral. They may also confuse this sense with physical health and say things like *the relationship is sick*, which sounds informal or strange; *unhealthy relationship* is the standard phrase.
Synonymes
toxic (very common informal term for extremely harmful relationships or environments.)
|
damaging (emphasizes the long-term harm done to a person’s mental state.)
Antonymes
healthy (about relationships or environments that support well-being.)
|
supportive (highlights emotional help and positive care in relationships or environments.)
Collocations
unhealthy relationship
|unhealthy dynamic
|unhealthy workplace
|unhealthy family environment
|unhealthy work culture
Thèmes
relationships
|psychology
|emotions
|health
Exemples
- She finally left the unhealthy relationship and moved in with friends.
- The company’s culture of overwork created an unhealthy work environment.
- Growing up in such an unhealthy family atmosphere affected his confidence.
- Therapy helped them see the unhealthy patterns in their marriage.
- The constant pressure at school made it an unhealthy place for many students.
Exemples pédagogiques
- He is in an unhealthy relationship with his boss.
- This office has an unhealthy work culture.
- Their parents had an unhealthy marriage.
- Social media can create an unhealthy feeling of stress.
- She left the unhealthy home and stayed with a friend.
adjective
C1
property
4
excessive and morally disturbing
used for an interest or feeling that is too strong and not normal, and that people find wrong or worrying
Schéma d’usage :
an unhealthy [interest / obsession / fascination] in [something]
Erreur fréquente :
Learners may try to translate directly from their own language and say things like *dirty interest* or *bad interest*; in English *unhealthy interest* or *unhealthy obsession* is the natural phrase. Also, they sometimes confuse this with physical health and expect it to refer to the body rather than to morality or psychology.
Synonymes
morbid (often about an interest in death or unpleasant subjects.)
|
perverse (stronger; suggests something wrong or twisted by normal moral standards.)
|
excessive (focuses on the idea of being too much, not on the moral judgment.)
Antonymes
healthy (about a normal, balanced level of interest or attention.)
|
normal (indicates that a level of interest is usual and not worrying.)
Collocations
unhealthy interest
|unhealthy obsession
|unhealthy fascination
|unhealthy curiosity
Thèmes
behavior
|ethics
|emotions
|relationships
|core_vocabulary
Exemples
- He has an unhealthy obsession with celebrity gossip.
- The media’s unhealthy fascination with violent crimes can be disturbing.
- She developed an unhealthy interest in extreme dieting websites.
- There is an unhealthy curiosity about other people’s private lives.
- Critics warned of an unhealthy obsession with profits over people.
Exemples pédagogiques
- He has an unhealthy interest in other people’s problems.
- The child showed an unhealthy fascination with weapons.
- Some fans have an unhealthy obsession with famous actors.
- The show creates an unhealthy curiosity about crime.
- She thinks his focus on money is unhealthy.
Grammaire
Forme canonique
unhealthy
API
GB/ʌnhˈɛlθi/
US/ʌnhˈɛlθi/
Syllabes et accentuation
un - healthy (2 syllabes)
Stress on 2nd syllable (healthy)
Formes du mot
Adjective
- Base: unhealthy
- Comparative: unhealthier
- Superlative: unhealthiest
Famille de mots
Expressions
emotionally unhealthy
1/ɪmˈoʊʃnəli ʌnhˈɛlθi/
fixed phrase
bad for emotional well-being
not good for your feelings or emotional health
Exemples
- Constantly comparing yourself to others is emotionally unhealthy.
- The therapist told him that bottling up his anger was emotionally unhealthy.
mentally unhealthy
1/mˈɛntəli ʌnhˈɛlθi/
fixed phrase
bad for mental health
not good for your mind or mental health
Exemples
- Living in constant fear is mentally unhealthy.
- Experts say that working all night is mentally unhealthy over time.
unhealthy amount of
1/ʌnhˈɛlθi əmˈaʊnt əv/
fixed phrase
too much of something, in a harmful way
used to say there is so much of something that it is bad for you
Exemples
- He spends an unhealthy amount of time playing video games.
- The job involves an unhealthy amount of stress.
unhealthy diet
1/ʌnhˈɛlθi dˈaɪət/
fixed phrase
a way of eating that is bad for health
a way of eating that includes too much fat, sugar, or other things that are bad for your body
Exemples
- His unhealthy diet led to high blood pressure.
- The doctor told her to change her unhealthy diet immediately.
unhealthy eating
1/ʌnhˈɛlθi ˈitɪŋ/
fixed phrase
eating in a way that harms health
a way of eating that is bad for your body, usually with too much junk food or not enough fruit and vegetables
Exemples
- Unhealthy eating in childhood can lead to problems later in life.
- He blamed his weight gain on years of unhealthy eating.
unhealthy fascination
1/ʌnhˈɛlθi fˌæsənˈeɪʃən/
fixed phrase
strong but disturbing attraction
a very strong feeling of wanting to know or see something that is too much and not good for you
Exemples
- He has an unhealthy fascination with stories about disasters.
- Critics pointed out the film’s unhealthy fascination with violence.
unhealthy food
1/ʌnhˈɛlθi fˈud/
fixed phrase
food that is bad for health
food that is not good for your body, especially if you eat it a lot
Exemples
- Children are often attracted to unhealthy food like chips and candy.
- We’re trying to serve less unhealthy food at home.
unhealthy habit
1/ʌnhˈɛlθi hˈæbət/
fixed phrase
a repeated behavior that is bad for health
something you do often that is bad for your health, like smoking or sleeping too little
Exemples
- Smoking is an unhealthy habit that’s hard to break.
- She is trying to replace her unhealthy habits with better ones.
unhealthy interest
1/ʌnhˈɛlθi ˈɪntɚˌɛst/
fixed phrase
excessive and worrying interest
an interest in something that is too strong and makes other people feel worried or uncomfortable
Exemples
- The documentary warned about society’s unhealthy interest in true-crime stories.
- Teachers noticed his unhealthy interest in violent games.
unhealthy lifestyle
1/ʌnhˈɛlθi lˈaɪfstˌaɪl/
fixed phrase
a way of living that is bad for health
a way of living that includes bad habits like no exercise, a lot of stress, or too much alcohol and junk food
Exemples
- Years of an unhealthy lifestyle finally caught up with him.
- She is trying to move away from her unhealthy lifestyle and start exercising.
unhealthy obsession
1/ʌnhˈɛlθi əbsˈɛʃən/
fixed phrase
excessive interest that is harmful
a very strong interest in something that is too much and not good for you
Exemples
- She developed an unhealthy obsession with checking her phone.
- His unhealthy obsession with his appearance made him miserable.
unhealthy relationship
1/ʌnhˈɛlθi ɹilˈeɪʃənʃˌɪp/
fixed phrase
relationship that is bad for well-being
a relationship that makes people feel bad, scared, or controlled instead of safe and respected
Exemples
- Friends warned her that she was in an unhealthy relationship.
- Therapy helped them see the signs of an unhealthy relationship.
unhealthy work-life balance
1/ʌnhˈɛlθi wˈɚk lˈaɪf bˈæləns/
fixed phrase
bad balance between work and personal life
when you work too much and do not have enough time for rest, family, or hobbies, so it is bad for your health
Exemples
- Many employees suffer from an unhealthy work-life balance.
- He left the company because the unhealthy work-life balance was affecting his health.