unpopular

adjective

un·​pop·​u·​lar ˌən-ˈpä-pyə-lər How to pronounce unpopular (audio)
: not popular : viewed or received unfavorably by the public
unpopularity noun
unpopularly adverb

Examples of unpopular in a Sentence

I was unpopular in high school. Her third album has been unpopular with fans. Recent conflicts have made him unpopular among the staff.
Recent Examples on the Web One major obstacle: The bill is largely unpopular with TikTok users, many of whom also happen to be young voters who could hold major sway in the 2024 US election, which senators are keenly aware of. Clare Duffy, CNN, 13 Mar. 2024 The United States has long been an unwavering partner of Israel, a stance that is largely popular domestically but unpopular in much of the world, especially after Israel began its devastating military campaign in Gaza, which has killed at least 30,000 people so far. Daniel Byman, Foreign Affairs, 12 Mar. 2024 And both Biden and Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee, are similarly unpopular among likely voters in the state. Lawrence Andrea, Journal Sentinel, 7 Mar. 2024 Both President Biden and former President Donald Trump are all but assured of a rematch against each other, however unpopular that may be with voters. Suzanne Nuyen, NPR, 6 Mar. 2024 In November, Biden was more unpopular in Miami-Dade than Trump, DeSantis and Rick Scott, the Republican senator up for reelection this year, according to a 46-page summary of the EMC survey results recently obtained by the Miami Herald. Douglas Hanks, Miami Herald, 4 Mar. 2024 In society today, kids are afraid to speak up and say things that are unpopular. Christina Coulter, Fox News, 3 Mar. 2024 By Molly Cook Escobar Both Mr. Trump and Mr. Biden are unpopular. Shane Goldmacher, New York Times, 2 Mar. 2024 While blocking banking apps and wallet functionality makes some sense, blocking RCS will be much more unpopular. Zak Doffman, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'unpopular.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1614, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of unpopular was in 1614

Dictionary Entries Near unpopular

Cite this Entry

“Unpopular.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unpopular. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

unpopular

adjective
un·​pop·​u·​lar ˌən-ˈpäp-yə-lər How to pronounce unpopular (audio)
ˈən-
: not popular : disliked by many people
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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