unfashionable
gb/ʌnfˈæʃənəbəl/ us/ʌnfˈæʃənəbəl/
B2
English
Senses
0 senses
adjective
B2
property
1
not in style
not popular to wear now
Usage pattern:
[clothes/style/color] is unfashionable
Common mistake:
Don’t confuse unfashionable (not stylish) with uncomfortable (not pleasant to wear).
Synonyms
out-of-fashion (Direct equivalent for styles and clothing.)
|
dated (Emphasizes that it looks old-fashioned.)
|
outdated (Suggests it belongs to an earlier time.)
Antonyms
fashionable (In the currently popular style.)
|
trendy (Very up-to-date and popular, sometimes briefly.)
Collocations
unfashionable clothes
|unfashionable shoes
|unfashionable dress
|unfashionable haircut
|unfashionable style
|unfashionable colour
|unfashionable jacket
|unfashionable outfit
|unfashionable accessories
|unfashionable design
Themes
clothing
|appearance
|shopping
|daily_life
Examples
- Wide ties looked unfashionable by the late 1990s.
- She kept the coat even though it was unfashionable, because it was warm.
- The room was full of unfashionable brown furniture from the 1970s.
Learner examples
- These shoes are unfashionable now.
- He wore an unfashionable hat.
adjective
C1
property
2
not popular or socially approved
not popular or not considered good by most people now
Usage pattern:
it is unfashionable to [do something] / unfashionable among [people]
Common mistake:
Learners may overuse unfashionable for anything ‘bad’; it usually means ‘not popular/approved now’, not ‘wrong’.
Synonyms
unpopular (Focuses on lack of public support rather than trend or taste.)
|
untrendy (More informal; often used for tastes and lifestyle choices.)
|
out of favor (Suggests it used to be accepted but no longer is.)
Antonyms
popular (Liked or supported by many people.)
|
fashionable (Currently admired or socially approved (not only for clothes).)
Collocations
unfashionable ideas
|unfashionable views
|an unfashionable opinion
|unfashionable attitudes
|unfashionable belief
|unfashionable to say
|unfashionable to do
|socially unfashionable
|politically unfashionable
|increasingly unfashionable
Themes
society
|opinions
|behavior
|culture
Examples
- It became unfashionable to smoke in restaurants long before it was banned.
- His unfashionable views on education made him unpopular with the committee.
- Supporting that policy is increasingly unfashionable among younger voters.
Learner examples
- It is unfashionable to wear fur now.
Grammar
Dictionary form
unfashionable
IPA
GB/ʌnfˈæʃənəbəl/
US/ʌnfˈæʃənəbəl/
Syllables & stress
un - fash - ion - able (4 syllables)
Stress on 2nd syllable (fash)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: unfashionable
Expressions
at an unfashionable hour
1/ˈæt ən ʌnfˈæʃənəbəl ˈaʊɚ/
fixed phrase
very early or very late
very early or very late
Examples
- They arrived at an unfashionable hour, long after midnight.
- The call came at an unfashionable hour, so I missed it.
- We set off at an unfashionable hour to avoid traffic.