pop ‧ u ‧ lar S2 W1 /ˈpɒpjələ, ˈpɒpjʊlə $ ˈpɑːpjəposlər/ BrE AmE adjective
[ Word Family: noun : ↑ popularity ≠ ↑ unpopularity , ↑ popularization ; verb : ↑ popularize ; adverb : ↑ popularly ; adjective : ↑ popular ≠ ↑ unpopular ]
[ Date: 1400-1500 ; Language: Latin ; Origin: popularis , from populus 'people' ]
1 . liked by a lot of people OPP unpopular :
Hilary was popular at school.
a popular holiday resort
Coffee is probably the most popular drink in the world.
hugely/enormously/immensely etc popular
Guerrero’s music is hugely popular in Latin America.
popular with/among
The President is very popular with Jewish voters.
2 . [only before noun] done by a lot of people in a society, group etc:
the closest popular vote in U.S. presidential history
The government has little popular support among women voters.
Kaplan’s latest recording has received considerable popular acclaim (=it is liked by a lot of people) .
popular belief/opinion/view (=a belief, opinion etc that a lot of people have)
a survey of Hispanic-American popular opinion
Contrary to popular belief (=in spite of what many people believe) , gorillas are basically shy, gentle creatures.
a popular movement for democracy
3 . [only before noun] relating to ordinary people, or intended for ordinary people:
Wintour’s writing is full of references to American popular culture.
Steele was ridiculed by the popular press.
⇨ ↑ pop music
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COLLOCATIONS (for Meaning 1)
■ adverbs
▪ very popular
She was a very popular teacher.
▪ extremely popular
The restaurant is extremely popular, owing to its high standard of food.
▪ highly popular (=extremely popular)
a highly popular radio station
▪ immensely/hugely/enormously popular
His plays were immensely popular.
▪ wildly popular (=extremely popular – used especially about something that excites people)
These bands are wildly popular in Cuba.
▪ phenomenally popular (=extremely popular, to a degree that is surprising or unusual)
Still her books remain phenomenally popular.
▪ increasingly popular
Business management courses are increasingly popular.
▪ universally popular (=liked by everyone)
Some foods are universally popular.
▪ enduringly/perennially popular (=always popular)
His most enduringly popular film is ‘Singin' in the Rain’.
▪ genuinely popular
He became Russia's first genuinely popular politician in a long time.
• • •
COLLOCATIONS (for Meaning 2)
■ nouns
▪ popular support
There was widespread popular support for the new law.
▪ popular demand
She will be performing here again next month, by popular demand.
▪ popular belief/opinion
Contrary to popular belief, cats are solitary animals.
▪ the popular view
The popular view bears little relation to the known facts.
▪ a popular misconception (=a wrong idea that many people have)
There is a popular misconception that the town is at the most northerly tip of the country.
▪ the popular vote
He won the presidency with almost 86 percent of the popular vote.
▪ the popular imagination
The characters in the series failed to catch the popular imagination.
• • •
THESAURUS
▪ popular liked by a lot of people:
a popular restaurant
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Marmaris is one of Turkey’s most popular tourist destinations.
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His films were hugely popular.
▪ well-liked used about someone who many people like:
He is an experienced and well-liked member of the team.
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Stein is well-respected and well-liked by the troops.
▪ big/huge [not before noun] informal very popular, especially in a particular place:
The band are big in Europe.
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Apparently this type of game is huge in Japan.
▪ hot informal someone or something that is hot, is very popular or fashionable and everyone wants to use them, see them, buy them etc:
one of this year’s hottest fashion trends
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a hot young singer from Nashville
■ something that is popular
▪ bestseller a book that a lot of people buy:
His prize-winning book ‘A Year in Provence’ became an international bestseller.
▪ blockbuster a film that a lot of people watch, especially an exciting film:
a Hollywood blockbuster
|
a blockbuster movie
▪ hit something such as a song, show, or film which is very popular and successful:
The band played all their old hits.
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The film was a box-office hit (=a lot of people went to see it at the cinema) .
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She stars in ABC’s hit show ‘Desperate Housewives’.
▪ sell-out a concert, sports event etc which so many people want to see that all the tickets are sold:
The concert was a sell-out.
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the band’s sell-out tour of the US
▪ cult movie/band/figure etc a film, band, person etc that has become very popular and fashionable with a particular group of people:
a cult TV programme
▪ craze something that suddenly becomes popular, so that a lot of people do it, buy it etc:
the latest dance craze that has been sweeping the US
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the craze for ultra expensive designer jeans
▪ fad informal something that is very popular for a short time – used about something that you disapprove of, which you do not think will last for very long:
Most diets are just fads.
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I think it’s a passing fad.