unfollow
Britishverb
Explanation
When you unfollow, you stop subscribing to a social media account. If your friend posts 20 selfies a day, you may eventually decide to unfollow them. On the internet, following someone means choosing to see everything they post on social media. You might follow your classmates, your favorite comedians, the local coffee shop, artists you like, and your uncle. If any of those accounts no longer interest you (they may be repetitive, offensive, or just a tiny bit boring), you can unfollow them. Unfollow is a new verb, coined around 2008.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“It tends to be more helpful for people to unfollow triggering accounts, unsubscribe from emails, block ads,” she said.
From Slate • May 25, 2025
Mr Stone added that it "may take some time for follow and unfollow requests to go through as these accounts change hands".
From BBC • Jan. 23, 2025
In a post Sunday evening, Teacher Li suggested people unfollow his account.
From Seattle Times • Feb. 26, 2024
“Should your friends unfollow your ex,” she asked in an Instagram poll shared Sunday.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 12, 2024
I blurt out, “Why did you unfollow my Tumblr?”
From "The Hate U Give" by Angie Thomas
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
