Unfollow Definition: How to Stop Following on Social Media

Meaning 1：stop following (Unfollow)

Unfollow 🔊

/ʌnˈfɑːloʊ/

To stop following someone on social media so that their posts no longer appear in your feed.

Finger tapping unfollow button on smartphone screen with fading social media icons

stop following 🔊

➕

/stɑːp ˈfɑːloʊɪŋ/

To stop subscribing to or viewing content from a particular user on a social media platform by clicking the 'unfollow' button.

📁 Category：Technological Inventions 🔖 Level：intermediate

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

Prefix un- (reversal) + follow (to go after) = to reverse the action of following, especially on social media.

💡 Mnemonic

Think of 'Unfollow' as 'Un' + 'Follow' – you press the 'un' button to stop following someone's updates.

📖 Example

To focus on her studies, Maria decided to unfollow all entertainment accounts during exam week. 🔊 To focus on her studies, Maria decided to unfollow all entertainment accounts during exam week.

🔗 Collocations

unfollow a user – To stop receiving updates from a specific user on social media.

unfollow an account – To remove a social media account from one's feed so its posts no longer appear.

unfollow button – The clickable interface element that allows a user to stop following another user.

🔄 Synonyms

unsubscribe (v.) – To cancel a subscription to a channel, mailing list, or service, often used for email newsletters or YouTube channels.

disconnect (v.) – To sever a connection, such as removing a friend or contact from a social network.

block (v.) – To prevent a specific user from viewing or interacting with one's content, typically a stronger action than unfollow.

🚫 Antonyms

follow (v.) – To subscribe to a user's updates on social media so their posts appear in one's feed.

subscribe (v.) – To sign up to receive content regularly, e.g., from a YouTube channel or newsletter.

🌱 Derivatives

unfollower (n.) – A person who has stopped following someone on social media.

unfollowing (n./adj.) – The act or state of having stopped following; e.g., 'unfollowing a user'.

📖 Cultural Story

The term 'unfollow' emerged with social media platforms like Twitter in the late 2000s. It quickly became a standard action to curate one's feed by removing updates from specific users.