English Explanatory Dictionary

indifferent

English dictionary entry

Meanings

adj
  1. Ambivalent; unconcerned; uninterested, apathetic.
  2. Indicating or reflecting a lack of concern or care.
  3. Mediocre (usually used negatively in modern usage).
  4. Having no preference.
  5. Unbiased, impartial, judging fairly.
  6. Not making a difference; without significance or importance.
  7. Being in the state of neutral equilibrium.
  8. Not different; matching.
noun
  1. A person who is indifferent or apathetic.
adv
  1. To some extent, in some degree (intermediate between very and not at all); moderately, tolerably, fairly.
  2. Without distinction or preference for some over others.

Pronunciation

/ɪnˈdɪf.ɹənt/ /ɪnˈdɪf.ə.ɹənt/ en-us-indifferent.ogg

Word forms

indifferent more indifferent most indifferent indifferents

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *né Proto-Indo-European *n̥- Proto-Italic *ən- Latin in- Proto-Indo-European *dwóh₁ Proto-Indo-European *d(w)is- Proto-Italic *dis- Latin dis- Proto-Indo-European *bʰer- Proto-Indo-European *bʰéreti Proto-Italic *ferō Latin ferō Latin differō Latin differēns Latin indifferēns Old French indifferent English indifferent From Old French indifferent, from Latin indifferens. By surface analysis, in- + different.

Synonyms

insouciant nonchalant adiaphroistic apathetic apathistical blasé blithe deaf cool shiftless dispassionate dull enervated gallionic halfhearted heartless impassive ineffervescible indifferent insensible jaded languid languorous Laodicean lethargic listless lackadaisical lotophagous lukewarm meh mopey nonplussed otiose phlegmatic pococurante spiritless supine tepid torpid torpedinous unaroused uncaring unconcerned unenthusiastic unimpressible uninterested unlively unmoved untouched unzealous world-weary laid-back airy at ease at peace carefree careless casual chill devil-may-care

Related words

indifference indifferency indifferentism indifferently

Derived words

indifferentist indifferentness unindifferent

Translations

American Sign Language: 1@Nose-FingerBack 1@FromNose-FingerForward Armenian: անտարբեր Azerbaijani: laqeyd Azerbaijani: biganə Belarusian: абыя́кавы Belarusian: безува́жны Belarusian: раўнаду́шны Bulgarian: равноду́шен Bulgarian: безразли́чен Bulgarian: безучастен Catalan: indiferent Chinese: 冷淡 Chinese Mandarin: 冷漠 Chinese Mandarin: 冷淡 Czech: lhostejný Danish: ligeglad Dutch: onverschillig Finnish: välinpitämätön French: indifférent Galician: indiferente German: gleichgültig German: teilnahmslos Greek: αδιάφορος Ancient Greek: ἄτρεπτος Hebrew: אָדִישׁ Hindi: रूखा Hungarian: közömbös Hungarian: közönyös Hungarian: érdektelen Hungarian: érzéketlen Irish: fuarchúiseach Italian: indifferente Japanese: 冷淡な Japanese: 無関心な Japanese: どこ吹く風の Korean: 무관심하다 Southern Kurdish: خەمسەرد Latin: incūriōsus Latin: indifferens Lithuanian: abejingas Macedonian: рамнодушен Māori: arokore Māori: haumaruru Māori: ngākau kore Māori: ngākaukore Māori: whakamoroki Norwegian Bokmål: likegyldig Norwegian Nynorsk: likesæl Polish: obojętny Portuguese: indiferente Romanian: indiferent Romanian: apatic Russian: равноду́шный Russian: безразли́чный Russian: безуча́стный Russian: индиффере́нтный Scottish Gaelic: coma Serbo-Croatian: равно̀душан Serbo-Croatian: ravnòdušan Slovak: ľahostajný Spanish: indiferente Spanish: apático Spanish: desganado Spanish: ni le viene ni le va Swedish: likgiltig
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