unimportant
gb/ʌnɪmpˈɔɹtənt/ us/ʌnɪmpˈɔɹtənt/
B1
English
~ 9200
Senses
0 senses
adjective
B1
property
1
not important; not significant
Not important; not having much meaning or effect.
Usage pattern:
be unimportant (to [someone] / for [something])
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes say *"no important"* instead of *"unimportant" or "not important" (e.g., *"This is no important"* is incorrect; say *"This is unimportant"* or *"This is not important"*). They may also overuse *"unimportant"* in polite conversation where *"not so important"* or *"not very important"* sounds softer and more natural.
Synonyms
insignificant (Slightly more formal; often used about size or effect as well as importance.)
|
trivial (Suggests something is not only unimportant but also small or silly to care about.)
|
minor (Focuses on being less serious or less important compared with other things.)
Antonyms
important (Direct opposite; something that matters a lot or has a strong effect.)
|
significant (Opposite in terms of having a clear effect or meaning; often slightly more formal.)
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crucial (Stronger opposite; means extremely important or necessary.)
Collocations
seem unimportant
|relatively unimportant
|unimportant detail
|feel unimportant
|politically unimportant
|totally unimportant
Themes
evaluation
|priority
|emotions
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- I know it feels huge right now, but this test is actually quite unimportant in the long run.
- He spent an hour arguing about some completely unimportant detail in the report.
- She felt unimportant at work because no one asked for her opinion.
- From an economic point of view, the loss was relatively unimportant.
- Whether we meet at two or three is unimportant to me.
Learner examples
- This problem is unimportant, so we can talk about it later.
- Please skip any unimportant information and just tell me the main idea.
- I felt unimportant when they did not listen to me.
- The color of the cover is unimportant; I just want a cheap book.
Grammar
Dictionary form
unimportant
IPA
GB/ʌnɪmpˈɔɹtənt/
US/ʌnɪmpˈɔɹtənt/
Syllables & stress
un - im - port - ant (4 syllables)
Stress on 3rd syllable (port)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: unimportant
Word family
Core family
Negative and opposite forms
unimportance
noun
Expressions
make [someone] feel unimportant
1/mˈeɪk sˈʌmwˌʌn fˈil ʌnɪmpˈɔɹtənt/
fixed phrase
cause someone to feel unimportant
To act or speak in a way that makes someone think they do not matter or are not valued.
Examples
- Ignoring your child when they speak can make them feel unimportant.
- The manager's rude comments made several employees feel unimportant.
- Small actions, like checking your phone while someone talks, can make them feel unimportant.