indifferent

/ɪnˈdɪfrənt/ (bre, ipa) · /ɪnˈdɪfrənt/ (ame, ipa) · /in-ˈdi-f(ə-)rənt -fərnt/ (ame, mw)

indifferent — adjective

  • indifferentpositive
  • more indifferentcomparative
  • most indifferentsuperlative

1. lacking any interest or concern about a person, a situation, or an idea

1.形容詞B2
釋義

lacking any interest or concern about a person, a situation, or an idea

例句

João was indifferent to the storm warnings and took his boat out anyway.

indifferent to [something]

The cashier gave an indifferent shrug when Tunde asked for a refund.

indifferent + shrug / nod / reply

同義詞
  • uninterested

    less negative — simply means not interested, without implying someone should care

  • apathetic

    stronger — suggests a deeper lack of emotion or motivation; more formal and clinical

  • unconcerned

    focuses on not worrying about something, often more momentary than 'indifferent'

  • disinterested

    easily confused; means 'impartial' (sense 3 of this entry), not 'not interested'

反義詞
  • interested

    direct opposite — wanting to know or learn about something

  • concerned

    caring about something and wanting to help or fix it

文法句型

indifferent to/toward + noun/pronoun

用法筆記

Frequently followed by 'to' or 'toward' to indicate what the person is not interested in. The word carries a stronger negative tone than 'uninterested' — it often suggests someone should care but does not.

常見錯誤

❌She was indifferent to the difference between the two words.
✅She was indifferent to the distinction between the two words.
💡'indifferent' means not caring, not 'different.'
❌He was indifferent in the exam.
✅He was indifferent to the exam results.
💡'indifferent in' is not a natural collocation for this sense; use 'indifferent to' or 'indifferent about.'

2. not particularly good, though not terrible either; of average quality in a sligh

2.形容詞B2
釋義

not particularly good, though not terrible either; of average quality in a slightly disappointing way

例句

The band gave an indifferent performance, and half the crowd left before the final song.

indifferent + performance / meal / service / quality

Lucas called the film indifferent — not great, but not a waste of time either.

同義詞
  • mediocre

    more direct and common; means the same but sounds slightly harsher

  • average

    neutral — does not carry the disappointed tone that 'indifferent' has

  • unremarkable

    focuses on lack of memorable features rather than quality

反義詞
  • excellent

    far better than average; the strongest positive opposite

  • outstanding

    clearly above the ordinary level of quality

文法句型

indifferent + noun (performance, meal, quality)

用法筆記

Used before nouns describing products, services, or creative works. Negative in tone but mild — it criticises without being harsh. More common in written reviews than in casual conversation.

常見錯誤

❌The food was indifferent, but I still enjoyed it.
✅The food was indifferent, so I was not impressed.
💡'indifferent' as a quality judgment is negative; using it with 'enjoyed' creates a contradiction.
❌She gave an indifferent performance at the party.
✅She gave an indifferent performance in the play.
💡Use 'indifferent' for judged work (concert, exam, match), not for casual social situations.

3. not favoring any side or option; making judgments or decisions without being inf

3.形容詞C1
釋義

not favoring any side or option; making judgments or decisions without being influenced by personal feelings or preferences

例句

The judge remained indifferent to the defendant's charm and handed down a fair sentence.

indifferent to [something] = not influenced by

A historian must be indifferent to political pressure when writing about the past.

同義詞
  • impartial

    more common for this meaning; 'indifferent' is more formal and slightly dated

  • neutral

    focuses on not taking sides rather than not being influenced

  • unbiased

    emphasises fairness and lack of prejudice; very common in modern English

反義詞
  • biased

    having a strong preference for one side over another

  • partial

    favouring one person or group unfairly

文法句型

remain indifferent + to + noun (pressure, charm, influence)

用法筆記

Primarily used in formal, legal, academic, or journalistic writing. This sense is close in meaning to 'impartial' or 'neutral' and should not be confused with sense 1 (NOT INTERESTED), which has a negative connotation of carelessness.

常見錯誤

❌The referee was indifferent to which team won.
✅The referee was impartial and did not favour either team.
💡For sports, 'impartial' is the more natural word; 'indifferent' sounds overly formal.
❌She was indifferent during the debate.' (ambiguous)
✅She remained indifferent to both arguments during the debate.
💡Adding 'to' clarifies you mean this sense, not sense 1.

4. having no effect or significance in a given situation; not worth worrying or car

4.形容詞C1
釋義

having no effect or significance in a given situation; not worth worrying or caring about

例句

Whether they arrive at five or six is indifferent to the museum's closing schedule.

indifferent to [someone] = unimportant to them

The colour of the paper was indifferent to Christopher — he just wanted the book.

同義詞
  • irrelevant

    far more common in modern English; less formal than 'indifferent' in this sense

  • inconsequential

    similar formality; emphasises lack of consequences rather than lack of importance

  • immaterial

    often used in legal or formal contexts; means 'not relevant'

反義詞
  • important

    having great significance or value in a situation

  • significant

    having enough importance to deserve attention

文法句型

be indifferent to + noun (the outcome, the details)

用法筆記

The subject is usually the thing that does not matter, and the person affected is introduced by 'to' ('The detail was indifferent to her'). This sense is quite formal and less common in everyday speech — use 'does not matter' or 'is irrelevant' instead for casual contexts.

常見錯誤

❌The price is indifferent for me.
✅The price is indifferent to me.
💡The preposition must be 'to,' not 'for.'
❌The colour is indifferent.' (unclear)
✅The colour is indifferent to the overall design.
💡Without 'to,' the sentence is ambiguous between this sense and sense 1.

5. neither too much nor too little; at a level that falls between the extremes, see

5.形容詞C2
釋義

neither too much nor too little; at a level that falls between the extremes, seen as appropriate or acceptable

例句

The oven was set to an indifferent heat, just right for baking the bread.

indifferent heat / pace / amount / degree

Mateo kept the music at an indifferent volume so it would not disturb the neighbours.

同義詞
  • moderate

    the standard modern word for this meaning; far more common

  • moderate

    direct synonym; use 'moderate' instead in all modern contexts

反義詞
  • extreme

    far beyond the usual or moderate level

  • excessive

    too much or too great, beyond what is acceptable

文法句型

indifferent + noun (heat, pace, amount, volume)

用法筆記

This is the rarest modern sense of 'indifferent,' found mostly in older or literary writing. In everyday English, 'moderate,' 'medium,' or 'neither too... nor too...' are preferred.