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unpopular Definition

un·popu·lar (-päpyə lər)

adjective

not popular; not liked or approved of by the public or by the majority

  • unpopulated
  • unposed
  • unposted
  • unpotted
unpopular Related Forms
un′·popu·lar·ity (-yə larə tē) noun
unpopular Synonyms

unpopular

modif.

disliked, despised, out of favor, unaccepted, abhorred, loathed, shunned, avoided, ostracized, scorned, detested, execrated, unloved, unvalued, uncared for, obnoxious; see also offensive 2.

Antonyms popular*, liked, agreeable.

unpopular Usage Examples

Preposition: with

  • electorate: Hague, however, has tacked further to the right, amplifying those stances which were already most unpopular with the electorate.
  • voter: Moreover, it is manifestly unpopular with Scottish voters.
  • public: These plans are also unpopular with the public who do not want to see their precious countryside destroyed.

Modifying Another Word

  • deeply: A deeply unpopular foreign policy has brought suicide bombers to the streets of London.
  • hugely: Also wanting to take over from the hugely unpopular Tony Petty is the consortium of local businessmen headed by Mel Nurse.
  • massively: Fees have been massively unpopular from the day their introduction was announced.
  • politically: They have had to recognize that the conditions imposed are politically unpopular.
  • universally: None of the Derby acts so far has been universally unpopular, and no doubt that situation will continue.
  • increasingly: Actually I jumped ship, as I was becoming increasingly unpopular due to my trade union activities and anti-war stance.

Modifies a noun

  • minority: Would they really be on the side of the judges in the protection of unpopular minorities?
  • decision: I think the country is ready for unpopular decisions.
  • opinion: It might be an unpopular opinion, but who cares?
  • president: He [ Bush ] will leave office the most unpopular president in history.
  • minister: Mori was the most unpopular prime minister for decades.
  • war: The puzzle is Mr Howard's failure, against the backdrop of a deeply unpopular war, to make greater headway.

Used with adjective complement

  • prove: An experiment with ethnic patterns proved unpopular with older male fliers from the home market.
  • become: Do you become unpopular by saying no to drugs or to stealing?
  • remain: There were no further attempts to cut me down to size after that, although I remained as unpopular within M'tutor's as ever.
  • seem: Just why aren't people voting Conservative when the Prime Minister seemed so unpopular on the run up to the election?

Preposition: in

  • quarter: These conclusions are, to put it mildly, unpopular in many quarters.
unpopular Quotes

My definition of a free society is a society in which it is safe to be unpopular.

—Stevenson, Adlai E(wing)