不評

• Reading: ふひょう
• Romaji: fuhyō
• Kanji breakdown: 不 (fu) — not, un-; 評 (hyō) — criticism, review, reputation
• Pronunciation: /ɸɯ.çʲo.ɯ/

Meaning

Bad reputation; poor reception; unpopularity. Negative public opinion about something.

A noun describing a negative assessment or reception from others: 不評を買う (earn a bad reputation), 新しい制度は不評だ (the new system is unpopular). Often used when something intended to be well-received turns out to be disliked. Common in business, media, and policy discussions. The opposite is 好評 (kōhyō, favourable reception).

Examples

1. 新しいデザインは社内で不評だった。 The new design got a bad reception within the company.
2. 値上げは顧客から不評を買った。 The price hike earned a lot of backlash from customers.
3. 不評だった制度が見直されることになった。 The unpopular policy is set to be reviewed.

Usage Guide

Context: business, media, daily life

Tone: critical

Origin & History

From Sino-Japanese: 不 (fu, not) + 評 (hyō, criticism/review/reputation). Literally 'not well-reviewed' — receiving negative assessment.

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal