indifferently

/ɪnˈdɪfrəntli/ (bre, ipa) · /ɪnˈdɪfrəntli/ (ame, ipa)

indifferently — adverb

1. without concern, interest, or emotional reaction toward someone or something

1.副詞B2
釋義

without concern, interest, or emotional reaction toward someone or something

例句

Dr. Okafor shrugged indifferently when the nurse asked whether he wanted coffee or tea.

shrugged indifferently — physical gesture showing lack of care

Theo glanced indifferently at the promotion letter and set it aside without opening it.

glanced indifferently at — look without interest

同義詞
  • apathetically

    stronger — suggests a total lack of emotion rather than just interest

  • nonchalantly

    more casual — suggests relaxed unconcern rather than coldness

  • disinterestedly

    more neutral — suggests an unbiased, uninvolved stance

  • unconcernedly

    suggests an absence of worry rather than of interest

反義詞

文法句型

verb + indifferently

用法筆記

Commonly pairs with verbs describing facial expressions, gestures, or speech — such as 'shrug,' 'glance,' 'stare,' 'nod,' or 'reply.' The subject is usually a person or animal whose emotional detachment is being observed.

常見錯誤

❌He looked indifferently at the menu, unsure what to pick.
✅He looked at the menu without much interest, unsure what to pick.
💡'Indifferently' implies a lack of caring, not just uncertainty about a choice.

2. to a moderate or average degree — acceptable in quality but not especially good

2.副詞C1
釋義

to a moderate or average degree — acceptable in quality but not especially good or impressive

例句

The school play went indifferently, with polite clapping but no standing ovation.

went indifferently — describes overall performance outcome

Kenji plays guitar indifferently — he knows basic chords but struggles with fast changes.

同義詞
  • moderately

    more neutral — focuses on being within a middle range, not on quality judgment

  • passably

    suggests the minimum threshold of acceptability

  • tolerably

    suggests the result is just bearable rather than truly adequate

  • so-so

    informal — casually expresses mediocrity

反義詞

文法句型

verb + indifferently

用法筆記

Describes performance, quality, or results that fall in the middle of the scale. Unlike Sense 1, this sense cannot describe a person's attitude toward someone — it only evaluates how well something is done.

常見錯誤

❌The team played indifferently and lost badly.
✅The team played indifferently and finished in the middle of the standings.
💡'Indifferently' in this sense means average, not poorly.