unpopular

[ uhn-pop-yuh-ler ]

/ ʌnˈpɒp yə lər /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR unpopular ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

not popular; disliked or ignored by the public or by persons generally.

in disfavor with a particular person or group of persons.

Nearby words

Origin of unpopular

First recorded in 1640–50; un-¹ + popular

Related formsun·pop·u·lar·i·ty, nounun·pop·u·lar·ly, adverb

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for unpopular

Why is such a simple countermeasure against headache and disease still so unpopular?
Scroguard, Galactic Cap, and More: Will Anyone Wear Normal Condoms In the Future?|Samantha Allen|November 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Or maybe Ford suggests Frank is onto an old, now unpopular wisdom: nobody and nothing survives for long.
Richard Ford’s Artful Survivalist Guide: The Return of Frank Bascombe|Tom LeClair|November 4, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The assumption is that President Obama is a drain on Democrats desperate to survive his unpopular numbers in key states.
What the GOP Will Do If It Wins Congress|Stuart Stevens|October 3, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The central government was unpopular, and a group of young Army officers carried out a coup.
Nigeria’s Larger-Than-Life Nobel Laureate Chronicles a Fascinating Life|Chimamanda Adichie|August 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Sadly, Paul the Octopus did not outlive his impressive but unpopular World Cup predictions by long.
The Amazing Tale of Paul the Psychic Octopus: Germany’s World Cup Soothsayer|Emily Shire|July 12, 2014|DAILY BEAST
One of these boys was unpopular with the others, and they invented a method of punishing him for supposed offenses.
Studies in the Psychology of Sex, Volume 2 (of 6)|Havelock Ellis
Two weeklies, which were unpopular from the first, began to be published at Boston early in 1831.
Liberty In The Nineteenth Century|Frederic May Holland
If this unpopular psychology I have explained was adopted everywhere as true, we would never hear expressions of hate.
National Being|(A.E.)George William Russell
He himself tried to impose an unpopular policy on an unwilling people, and never condescended to explain his motives.
A History of England|Charles Oman
Others wrote as they did, because they feared it would be unpopular to write otherwise.
The Innocents Abroad|Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens)

British Dictionary definitions for unpopular

unpopular

/ (ʌnˈpɒpjʊlə) /

adjective

not popular with an individual or group of people

Derived Formsunpopularity (ˌʌnpɒpjʊˈlærɪtɪ), noununpopularly, adverb

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for unpopular

unpopular

adj.

1640s, from un- (1) "not" + popular.

unpopular

adjective

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Nearby words

Origin of unpopular

Examples from the Web for unpopular

British Dictionary definitions for unpopular

unpopular

adjective

Word Origin and History for unpopular

unpopular