English Explanatory Dictionary

could care less

English dictionary entry

Meanings

verb
  1. To not care at all; to have no concern or interest; to be apathetic.

Pronunciation

/kəd kɛə ˈlɛs/ /kəd kɛ(ə)ɹ ˈlɛs/ /-ke(ə)ɹ-/ En-us-could care less.mp3

Word forms

could care less could have cared less

Etymology

An alteration of couldn’t care less (which is first attested slightly earlier), either: * by deliberate irony, or * by hyponegation, perhaps influenced by forms such as “as if I could care less”, “no one could care less”, and “to know little (or nothing) and care less”.

Synonyms

couldn't care less not give a tinker's cuss not give a tinker's damn
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