Unhealthy

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /ʌnˈhɛlθi/

Definitions

1. Not conducive to good physical or mental well-being; harmful or detrimental to one's condition
2. Causing or contributing to poor physical or mental condition and reducing overall wellness
3. Likely to produce sickness or negative effects on the body's or mind's proper functioning

Etymology: "Unhealthy" is about as plain as English compounds get: the prefix "un-" joined to "healthy," and the adjective "healthy" itself is the more interesting piece. "Health" descends from the Old English "hǣlþ," a noun built on the adjective "hāl," meaning whole, sound, or uninjured. That same root gave English "whole," "hale," and "hail" (as in "hail and hearty"), so a healthy body was originally a body that was simply intact. The "-y" ending is an ordinary Old English adjective suffix, which turned "health" into "healthy" and gave it the sense of being in good condition. The prefix "un-" is older still, traceable to Proto-Germanic, and it has been used for negation since Old English. Attaching it to "healthy" produced a straightforward opposite: not sound, not whole, not in good working order.

Synonyms: unwholesome, harmful, detrimental, injurious, adverse

Antonyms: healthy, beneficial, wholesome, salubrious, nutritious