disliked

Disliked is the past tense and past participle of the verb dislike. As an adjective, it describes something or someone that is not liked or is viewed unfavorably. For example, “The policy was widely disliked” or “She is disliked by many of her colleagues.” As a past participle, it can form passive descriptions or be part of perfect tenses: “They have disliked such practices for years.” The term signals negative sentiment, a lack of approval, or a general aversion, and it can refer to people, ideas, actions, or objects.

Usage notes: Disliked commonly appears in predicates (“The film was disliked by critics”) or attributively (“a disliked feature”). Its antonyms are “liked” or “popular”; related terms include “unpopular” and “unliked.” The strength of the sentiment can vary with context or modifiers (e.g., “widely disliked,” “mildly disliked”).

Etymology: Disliked derives from the prefix dis- added to “like,” with roots in the Germanic language family. The sense “not to be liked” developed in English over time and has remained in common use.

In contemporary usage, the term also appears in discussions of online feedback, where a “dislike” reaction signals negative reception. In that context, “disliked” describes the state of reception a post, video, or idea has received. Overall, the word functions as a neutral descriptor of negative preference or disapproval within both formal and informal language.