disinterested

/dɪsˈɪntrəstɪd/ (bre, ipa) · /dɪsˈɪntrəstɪd/ (ame, ipa) · /(ˌ)dis-ˈin-trə-stəd -ˈin-tə-ˌre-, -tə-rə-, -tər-; -ˈin-ˌtre-/ (ame, mw)

disinterested — adjective

  • disinterestedpositive
  • more disinterestedcomparative
  • most disinterestedsuperlative

1. willing to judge a situation fairly because you have nothing to gain from one ou

1.形容詞C1
釋義

willing to judge a situation fairly because you have nothing to gain from one outcome over another, and no personal feelings pulling you toward a particular side.

例句

The Watanabe family asked a disinterested neighbour to help divide their late father's books.

attributive use: disinterested + noun (impartial outsider)

Yuna wanted a disinterested opinion on the contract, so she paid a lawyer she had never met before.

common collocation: disinterested opinion / advice / observer

同義詞
  • impartial

    most direct synonym; slightly less formal

  • unbiased

    stresses absence of prejudice rather than absence of personal gain

  • neutral

    broader; can describe positions, countries, or tones, not only people

  • even-handed

    stresses fair treatment of both sides in active judgement

反義詞

用法筆記

Distinguish from sense 2: a disinterested judge has no stake in the outcome but is fully engaged with the case; an uninterested judge does not care about the case at all. Careful writers reserve this sense for 'impartial'.

常見錯誤

❌I was disinterested in the movie and left early.
✅I was uninterested in the movie and left early.
💡'disinterested' here means impartial, not bored; use 'uninterested' for lack of interest.
❌a disinterested observer who fell asleep during the meeting
✅a disinterested observer who took careful notes during the meeting
💡a disinterested observer is paying close attention; only their personal stake is absent.

2. not paying attention to something or not feeling drawn to it; treating it as som

2.形容詞C1
釋義

not paying attention to something or not feeling drawn to it; treating it as something that does not concern you. Many usage guides call this overlap with 'uninterested' a mistake, but it is widespread in everyday speech.

例句

Paloma seemed completely disinterested in the lecture and kept checking her phone.

informal usage overlapping with 'uninterested'

The cat looked disinterested in the new toy and walked back to the sofa.

同義詞
  • uninterested

    the preferred word for this meaning in careful writing

  • indifferent

    stronger; suggests a settled lack of caring

  • apathetic

    stresses lack of energy or motivation to engage

  • bored

    stresses the feeling itself rather than the attitude

反義詞

文法句型

disinterested + in + noun/gerund

用法筆記

Distinguish from sense 1: this sense overlaps with 'uninterested' and many editors prefer to keep 'disinterested' for sense 1 only. In formal writing, choose 'uninterested' for lack of interest to avoid ambiguity.

常見錯誤

❌The judge was disinterested in the case and missed key evidence.
✅The judge was uninterested in the case and missed key evidence.
💡sense 1 (impartial) would suggest the judge was doing the job well; flipping the word changes the meaning.