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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Adams has become increasingly unpopular in New York after he was indicted in September on federal corruption charges brought by the Department of Justice when Democratic former President Joe Biden was still in office. Dan Mangan, CNBC, 27 June 2025 The incumbent, Eric Adams, is also proving to be very unpopular and is very much seen to be out of touch by voters. Gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 June 2025 The Democratic socialist is currently a heavy favorite in the November election against unpopular incumbent Eric Adams, who is running as an independent, and Curtis Sliwa, the Republican nominee and founder of the Guardian Angels. Christiaan Hetzner, Fortune, 26 June 2025 But tariffs purportedly designed to bring manufacturing jobs back home (and, some hope, bring men back to their former position of dominance in families and society) have been so unpopular that the administration has had to walk many of them back. Anna North, Vox, 26 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for unpopular

Word History

First Known Use

1614, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of unpopular was in 1614

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Cite this Entry

“Unpopular.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unpopular. Accessed 1 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

unpopular

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

More from Merriam-Webster on unpopular

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