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

Data centers and their demands on power, land and water have become thorny political issues and are largely unpopular with the public. — Zachary Hansen, AJC.com, 11 Aug. 2026

Both sons of working-class immigrants, Becerra and Hilton share bootstrap biographies but clash sharply on taxes, regulation and California’s combative posture toward a president who is deeply unpopular in the state. — Kevinisha Walker, Los Angeles Times, 10 Aug. 2026

Pitching a wildly unpopular plan to sell off a subsidiary of the organization to raise money. — Megan Poinski, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026

But not all of the president's actions on immigration are as unpopular as ICE's interior enforcement. — Christopher Cann, USA Today, 9 Aug. 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