unpopular

adjective

un·​pop·​u·​lar ˌən-ˈpä-pyə-lər 

: not popular : viewed or received unfavorably by the public

unpopularity

ˌən-ˌpä-pyə-ˈler-ə-tē 

-ˈla-rə-

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

Making changes to the program — and potentially cutting benefits — has long been politically unpopular, and lawmakers have repeatedly kicked Social Security and Medicare’s troubling math to the next generation. — ABC News, 14 July 2026

Trump has struggled to find an off-ramp for the war, which has been steadily unpopular among Americans. — Chad De Guzman, Time, 14 July 2026

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz holds the unambiguous record for the most unpopular chancellor in Germany’s history, with his approval rating hitting 16% in May, according to a Deutschlandtrend/ARD poll. — Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 11 July 2026

And now, Sherwin-Williams recently conducted a color analysis, which identified the company’s most unpopular color of the year. — Terri Williams, Forbes.com, 10 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1614, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for unpopular

• maculopapular
• popular

Kids Definition

unpopular

adjective

un·​pop·​u·​lar ˌən-ˈpäp-yə-lər 

ˈən-

: not popular : disliked by many people

unpopularity

ˌən-ˌpäp-yə-ˈlar-ət-ē 

noun