1.
popular person; crowd favorite; well-liked person
A person who is widely liked and admired by others. Used for someone who naturally attracts people's attention and affection in a group.
彼はクラスの人気者だ。
He is the most popular person in the class.
子供たちの人気者になった。
He became a favorite among the children.
明るい性格で、どこに行っても人気者になる。
With a cheerful personality, she becomes popular wherever she goes.
Composed of 人気 (popularity) + 者 (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 or 人気タレント would be more appropriate.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- クラスの人気者 — the popular kid in the class
- 人気者になる — to become popular
- みんなの人気者 — everyone's favorite
- 職場の人気者 — the popular person at work
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 人気がある — to be popular; an adjective phrase rather than a noun
- 有名人 — celebrity, famous person; known publicly, not just well-liked
- モテる — to be popular with the opposite sex; specifically about romantic attractiveness