If you describe something or someone as unimportant, you mean that they do not have much influence, effect, or value, and are therefore not worth serious consideration.
It was an unimportant job, and paid very little.
When they had married, six years before, the difference in their ages had seemedunimportant.
Synonyms: insignificant, minor, petty, trivial More Synonyms of unimportant
unimportant in British English
(ˌʌnɪmˈpɔːtənt)
adjective
lacking in significance or value
unimportant matters
Examples of 'unimportant' in a sentence
unimportant
These were important things not because the other things were unimportant.
Christianity Today (2000)
The game becomes totally unimportant when that happens.
The Sun (2013)
What seems unimportant now could soon become central to your existence.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
It is more likely because the deficiencies are relatively unimportant or because there are some offsetting benefits.
Charles A. D'Ambrosio & Stewart D. Hodges & Richard Brealey & Stewart Myers Principles of Corporate Finance (1991)
The fact that it is of variable potency seems to be unimportant in practice.
Chaitow, Leon The Beat Fatigue Workbook - how to identify the causes (1988)
Initially tax relief was relatively unimportant because most people did not pay income tax.
Forrest, Ray & Murie, Alan & Williams, Peter Home-ownership - differentiation and fragmentation (1990)
The distinction between body and soul seemed unimportant here.
Charles Glass The Tribes Triumphant (2006)
The worst choice here would be to present something unimportant in such a way as to invite argument.
O'Connor, Joseph & Seymour, John Training with N.L.P. (1994)
Standards may have to be raised or dropped and a blind eye turned to unimportant differences of habit and behaviour.
Shapiro, Jean Get the Best out of the Rest of Your Life (1990)
It doesn't matter how small or unimportant it seems.
The Sun (2010)
They are confusing, exhausting and often about completely unimportant things.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
If we are working on something unimportant, we are showing bad judgment.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
It's been a week of finding tiny unimportant things indicative of larger ones that do matter.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
Conditions change: and suddenly the overlooked and unimportant becomes central and vital.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
Compared with this core relationship, childcare is relatively unimportant.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
Actually, you may well have neglected to mention certain things you thought unimportant.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
I took the view that my own fortunes were relatively unimportant.
Judd, Alan Ford Madox Ford (1990)
No cricket country in the world pays less attention to the important things and more to the unimportant things when addressing the question of cricket.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
It's not the small and unimportant details of life but a broader perspective that allows you to move ahead more quickly.
The Sun (2016)
Your partner might have difficulty thinking of an example for the bottom few; it can be hard for something we consider unimportant.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
A DON'T sweat about the small unimportant stuff.
The Sun (2012)
Very often these changes can be triggered by seemingly unimportant things, but the effects colour our whole outlook for as long as the mood lasts.
Wilkinson, Steve M.E. and You - a self-help plan (1988)
Once you focus on them, you'll wonder why you allowed yourself to become obsessed by something so unimportant.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
In other languages
unimportant
British English: unimportant /ˌʌnɪmˈpɔːtnt/ ADJECTIVE
If you describe something or someone as unimportant, you mean that they do not have much effect or value, and are therefore not worth considering.
The difference in their ages seemed unimportant.
American English: unimportant
Arabic: غَيْرُ هَامّ
Brazilian Portuguese: sem importância
Chinese: 不重要的
Croatian: nevažan
Czech: nedůležitý
Danish: uvigtig
Dutch: onbelangrijk
European Spanish: sin importancia
Finnish: vähäpätöinen
French: futile
German: unwichtig
Greek: επουσιώδης
Italian: trascurabile
Japanese: 重要でない
Korean: 중요하지 않은
Norwegian: uviktig
Polish: nieważny
European Portuguese: sem importância
Romanian: neimportant
Russian: неважный
Latin American Spanish: sin importancia
Swedish: oviktig
Thai: ไม่สำคัญ
Turkish: önemsiz
Ukrainian: неважливий
Vietnamese: tầm thường
Chinese translation of 'unimportant'
unimportant
(ʌnɪmˈpɔːtənt)
adj
微不足道的 (wēi bù zú dào de)
(adjective)
Definition
trivial or insignificant
It was an unimportant job, and paid very little.
Synonyms
insignificant
In 1949 it was still a small, insignificant city.
minor
She is known for a number of minor roles in films.
petty
Rows would start over petty things.
trivial
I don't like to visit the doctor just for something trivial.
slight
It's only made a slight difference.
irrelevant
irrelevant details
worthless
Training is worthless unless there is proof that it works.
trifling
The guests had each paid £250, no trifling sum.
paltry
She had no interest in such paltry concerns.
immaterial
Whether we like him or not is immaterial.
inconsequential
a reminder of how inconsequential their lives were
low-ranking
of no consequence
nickel-and-dime (US, slang)
of no account
nugatory
They wrote for the magazine for fees that were either non-existent or nugatory.
not worth mentioning
of no moment
Opposites
major
,
important
,
significant
,
essential
,
vital
, grave,
urgent
,
weighty
Additional synonyms
in the sense of immaterial
Definition
of no real importance or relevance
Whether we like him or not is immaterial.
Synonyms
irrelevant,
insignificant,
unimportant,
unnecessary,
trivial,
trifling,
inconsequential,
extraneous,
inconsiderable,
of no importance,
of no consequence,
inessential,
a matter of indifference,
of little account,
inapposite
in the sense of inconsequential
Definition
unimportant or insignificant
a reminder of how inconsequential their lives were
Synonyms
unimportant,
trivial,
insignificant,
minor,
petty,
trifling,
negligible,
paltry,
immaterial,
measly (informal),
inconsiderable,
nickel-and-dime (US, slang),
of no significance
in the sense of irrelevant
Definition
not connected with the matter in hand
irrelevant details
Synonyms
unconnected,
unrelated,
unimportant,
inappropriate,
peripheral,
insignificant,
negligible,
immaterial,
extraneous,
beside the point,
impertinent,
neither here nor there,
inapplicable,
inapt,
inapposite,
inconsequent
Synonyms of 'unimportant'
unimportant
Explore 'unimportant' in the dictionary
Additional synonyms
in the sense of minor
Definition
not very serious or significant
She is known for a number of minor roles in films.
Synonyms
small,
lesser,
subordinate,
smaller,
light,
slight,
secondary,
petty,
inferior,
trivial,
trifling,
insignificant,
negligible,
unimportant,
paltry,
inconsequential,
inconsiderable,
nickel-and-dime (US, slang)
in the sense of nugatory
Definition
of little value
They wrote for the magazine for fees that were either non-existent or nugatory.
Synonyms
trivial,
worthless,
trifling,
insignificant,
valueless
in the sense of paltry
Definition
insignificant
She had no interest in such paltry concerns.
Synonyms
insignificant,
trivial,
worthless,
unimportant,
small,
low,
base,
minor,
slight,
petty,
trifling,
Mickey Mouse (slang),
piddling (informal),
toytown (slang),
poxy (slang),
nickel-and-dime (US, slang),
picayune (US),
chickenshit (US, slang),
twopenny-halfpenny (British, informal)
in the sense of petty
Definition
trivial or unimportant
Rows would start over petty things.
Synonyms
trivial,
inferior,
insignificant,
little,
small,
slight,
trifling,
negligible,
unimportant,
paltry,
measly (informal),
contemptible,
piddling (informal),
inconsiderable,
inessential,
nickel-and-dime (US, slang)
in the sense of slight
Definition
not very important or lacking in substance
It's only made a slight difference.
Synonyms
small,
minor,
insignificant,
negligible,
weak,
modest,
trivial,
superficial,
feeble,
trifling,
meagre,
unimportant,
paltry,
measly (informal),
insubstantial,
scanty,
inconsiderable
in the sense of trifling
Definition
insignificant, petty, or frivolous
The guests had each paid £250, no trifling sum.
Synonyms
insignificant,
small,
tiny,
empty,
slight,
silly,
shallow,
petty,
idle,
trivial,
worthless,
negligible,
unimportant,
frivolous,
paltry,
minuscule,
puny,
measly,
piddling (informal),
inconsiderable,
valueless,
nickel-and-dime (US, slang),
footling (informal)
in the sense of trivial
Definition
of little importance
I don't like to visit the doctor just for something trivial.
Synonyms
unimportant,
little,
small,
minor,
slight,
everyday,
petty,
meaningless,
commonplace,
worthless,
trifling,
insignificant,
negligible,
frivolous,
paltry,
incidental,
puny,
inconsequential,
trite,
inconsiderable,
valueless,
nickel-and-dime (US, slang),
wanky (taboo, slang),
chickenshit (US, slang)
in the sense of worthless
Definition
without value or usefulness
Training is worthless unless there is proof that it works.