unpopular
Americanadjective
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not popular; disliked or ignored by the public or by persons generally.
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in disfavor with a particular person or group of persons.
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of unpopular
Explanation
When something is unpopular, it means most people don't like it, like a school lunch that nobody wants to eat or a TV show that nobody watches. Empty theaters and poor reviews indicate that a movie is unpopular. A politician with low approval ratings is unpopular and probably won't be reelected. Unpopular opinions are those that are not widely accepted or well-received. The word unpopular indicates a lack of favor or acceptance that can lead to rejection of products, ideas, and sometimes even people.
Vocabulary lists containing unpopular
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.
The merger has been unpopular in Hollywood because the combination of two similar companies is expected to erase at least 4,500 jobs, according to a recent report from Los Angeles County’s Department of Economic Opportunity.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 19, 2026
As a physician, I know that an uncomfortable diagnosis doesn’t become less true because it is unpopular.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 13, 2026
These updates to security protocols follow a move from TSA last year to end the requirement that passengers remove their shoes during security screenings, an unpopular policy in place for two decades.
From BBC ● Sep. 10, 2026
But his tenure was an unpopular one, blighted by the Asian financial crisis, record unemployment and unease over Chinese interference in Hong Kong's affairs.
From Barron's ● Sep. 8, 2026
Nobody wasted their breath pretending to feel very sad about the Riddles, for they had been most unpopular.
From "Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire" by J. K. Rowling
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.
