人気者(にんきもの)

Composed of 人気(にんき) (popularity) + 者(もの) (person). Describes someone who is naturally well-liked in social settings — at school, work, or in a community. It has a warm, positive connotation and is often used to describe someone with a friendly, outgoing personality.

Usage

Most commonly used with だ/です or になる. The word applies to everyday popularity among peers, not celebrity fame. For famous people, 有名人(ゆうめいじん) or 人気(にんき)タレント would be more appropriate.

Common collocations

• クラスの人気者(にんきもの) — the popular kid in the class
• 人気者(にんきもの)になる — to become popular
• みんなの人気者(にんきもの) — everyone's favorite
• 職場(しょくば)の人気者(にんきもの) — the popular person at work

Similar words

• 人気(にんき)がある — to be popular; an adjective phrase rather than a noun
• 有名人(ゆうめいじん) — celebrity, famous person; known publicly, not just well-liked
• モテる — to be popular with the opposite sex; specifically about romantic attractiveness