indifferent en · ADJ
Pronunciation
- /ɪnˈdɪf.ɹənt/
- (US) audio
- /ɪnˈdɪf.ə.ɹənt/
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *né Proto-Indo-European *n̥- Proto-Italic *n̥- Latin in- Proto-Indo-European *dwóh₁ ▲ Proto-Indo-European *trísinflu. Proto-Indo-European *d(w)is- Proto-Italic *dis- Latin dis- Proto-Indo-European *bʰer- Proto-Indo-European *-eti 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.
Meanings
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Ambivalent; unconcerned; uninterested, apathetic.
“I must not hope to be ever situated as you are, in the midst of every dearest connexion, and therefore I cannot expect that simply growing older should make me indifferent about letters.” / “Indifferent! Oh! no—I never conceived you could become indifferent. Letters are no matter of indifference; they are generally a very positive curse.”
1815 December (indicated as 1816), [Jane Austen], chapter XVI, in Emma: […], volume II, London: […] [Charles Roworth and James Moyes] for John Murray, →OCLC:He was indifferent to the proposal, since it didn’t affect him, either way.
When you have a hundred francs in the world you are liable to the most craven panics. When you have only three francs you are quite indifferent; for three francs will feed you till tomorrow, and you cannot think further than that. You are bored, but you are not afraid.
1933 January 9, George Orwell [pseudonym; Eric Arthur Blair], chapter III, in Down and Out in Paris and London, London: Victor Gollancz […], →OCLC:
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Indicating or reflecting a lack of concern or care.
‘Wonderful, Florence,’ I said, producing the ritual phrases: ‘I don’t know what I would do without you.’ But of course I do know. I would sink into the indifferent squalor of old age.
1990, J. M. Coetzee, Age of Iron, London: Secker & Warburg, page 33:Donald appeared not to see her at all, and answered her wise little remarks with curtly indifferent monosyllables […]
1886 May, Thomas Hardy, chapter XXV, in The Mayor of Casterbridge: The Life and Death of a Man of Character. […], volume II, London: Smith, Elder & Co., […], →OCLC:“As a result, OCR found that the district’s pattern of inconsistent responses to reports it received of sexual harassment – infrequently responding under Title IX or not responding at all – rose to the level that the district’s response to some families’ sexual harassment reports was deliberately indifferent to students’ civil rights,” a news release from DOE reads.
2024 November 14, Lauren del Valle, “After suicide of nonbinary teen, DOE finds multiple Title IX violations at Oklahoma school district”, in CNN:She responded with an indifferent shrug.
Then she shrugged, the mildest, most indifferent gesture he had ever seen, and smiled.
1953, James Baldwin, “Gabriel’s Prayer”, in Go Tell It on the Mountain (A Laurel Book), New York, N.Y.: Dell Publishing Co., published December 1985, →ISBN, part 2 (The Prayers of the Saints), pages 122–123:
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Mediocre (usually used negatively in modern usage).
When Mrs. Honour had made her Report from the Landlord, Sophia, with much Difficulty, procured some indifferent Horses, which brought her to the Inn, where Jones had been confined rather by the Misfortune of meeting with a Surgeon, than by having met with a broken Head.
1749, Henry Fielding, chapter 9, in The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling, volume (please specify |volume=I to VI), London: A[ndrew] Millar, […], →OCLC, book X, page 275:Suddenly Barbara remembered the party where she had first met Ruth Gardnor with her husband. The night of the dinner party. And the cello: it had been an indifferent performance.
1965, Muriel Spark, The Mandelbaum Gate, Part 2, page 252:The long distance and the indifferent roads made the journey impossible.
[T]he state-rooms are unaired, and in indifferent order, since of late years.
1826, [Walter Scott], chapter III, in Woodstock; Or, The Cavalier. […], volume I, Edinburgh: […] [James Ballantyne and Co.] for Archibald Constable and Co.; London: Longman, Rees, Orme, Brown, and Green, →OCLC, page 84:The Blue Jays' performance has been indifferent this season.
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Having no preference.
Let Guilt or Fear / Disturb Man’s Rest: Cato knows neither of ’em, / Indiff’rent in his Choice to sleep or die.
1712 (date written), [Joseph] Addison, Cato, a Tragedy. […], London: […] J[acob] Tonson, […], published 1713, →OCLC, Act V, scene i, page 57:The scientific worker aims at knowledge and is quite indifferent whether people like or dislike the knowledge he produces.
1933 September, H[erbert] G[eorge] Wells, “Intellectual Antagonism to the Modern State”, in The Shape of Things to Come, 1st American edition, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company, →OCLC, 3rd book (The World Renascence: The Birth of the Modern State), page 302:I am indifferent between the two plans.
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(dated) Unbiased, impartial, judging fairly.
On October 7, 1640, the Massachusetts General Court attempted to solve the problem by a law stating that property seized for debts was to be assessed "at such prizes [prices] as the same shalbee valewed [shall be valued] at by 3 understanding and indifferent men, to bee chosen, the one by the creditor, another by the debtor, and the third by the marshall […]"
1955, Bernard Bailyn, The New England Merchants In The Seventeenth Century, Harvard University Press, page 48:
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Not making a difference; without significance or importance.
We talked of indifferent things, and watched the juggler who was tossing torches in the Stadium, for twilight was falling.
1956, Mary Renault, “Chapter 28”, in The Last of the Wine, New York: Modern Library, page 374:Even if one appliance consumes an indifferent amount of energy when left on stand-by overnight, together they can represent 10% of the electricity demand of a household.
[…] But I am arm’d, / And dangers are to me indifferent.
1599 (first performance), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Iulius Cæsar”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene iii]:His gestures, his gait, his grizzled beard, his slightest and most indifferent acts, the very fashion of his garments, were odious in the clergyman’s sight; […]
1850, Nathaniel Hawthorne, The Scarlet Letter, a Romance, Boston, Mass.: Ticknor, Reed, and Fields, →OCLC, page 162:[E]very thing in the world is indifferent but sin.
1651, Jer[emy] Taylor, “Of Contentedness”, in The Rule and Exercises of Holy Living. […], 2nd edition, London: […] Francis Ashe […], →OCLC, section 6, page 146:
- Being in the state of neutral equilibrium.
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(obsolete) Not different; matching.
[…] let their heads be sleekly comb’d, their blue coats brush’d and their garters of an indifferent knit
c. 1590–1592 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Taming of the Shrew”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene i]:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| more indifferent | Degree=Cmp | lexicographic | |
| most indifferent | Degree=Sup | lexicographic |
Deriveds
indifferentness · unindifferent · indifferentist
Relateds
indifference · indifferency · indifferently · indifferentism
Synonyms
carefree · unconcerned · dispassionate · adiaphroistic · identical · insouciant · unbothered · unbigoted · ordinary · lighthearted · untroubled · languid · easygoing · inconsiderable · OK · ordinary · torpid · lackadaisical · floccinaucinihilipilificatious · world-weary · silly · two-bit · blithe · relaxed · indifferent · tranquil · indistinguishing · pitiful · equitable · unimportant · clinical · leisurely · pissant · nonpartisan · uninterested · casual · lackluster · like a fart in a windstorm · pococurante · candid · lotophagous · dull · insouciant · unbiased · insensible · pissass · pedestrian · whatever · airy · mid · ticky-tacky · evenhanded · apathistical · unimpressible · piddling · frivolous · blasé · vain · mean · insignificant · wanton · unaroused · unpartisan · languorous · indifferent · tin-pot · slight · torpedinous · lukewarm · unenthusiastic · equal · impartial · tolerable · okayish · halfhearted · neuter · nothingburger · undisturbed · uninspiring · so-so · unworried · lackluster · at ease · mellow · unprepossessed · chill · base · unexceptional · simple · deaf · easy-breezy · trivial · jaded · nonchalant · objective · not worth writing home about · no great shakes · cold · devil-may-care · miserable · at peace · picayunish · uncaring · nonchalant · negligible · unbiased · inconsequential · indifferent · lethargic · idle · meh · laid-back · detached · enervated · wretched · unlively · immaterial · nonaligned · null · undifferent · unanxious · middling · indifferent · disinterested · nothing to write home about · egal · worthless · foolish · unweighty · indifferent · laid-back · negligible · insouciant · minor · piddly · unruffled · spiritless · Laodicean · identical · indifferent · unmoved · petty · piteous · supine · for the birds · mopey · serene · meager · trifling · fair-minded · ignorable · happy-go-lucky · objective · nonchalant · apathetic · neutral · untouched · mediocre · unzealous · uninterested · unprejudiced · nonplussed · fairhanded · unimportant · meh · shiftless · paltry · impassive · dispassionate · nonpersonal · solute · one and the same · nondescript · pococurante · crappy · heartless · loose · average · ineffervescible · self · imprejudicate · moderate · phlegmatic · careless · ok-ok · offhand · undifferentiated · comme ci comme ça · contemptible · listless · tepid · pointless · picayune · selfsame · futile · nonpartial · undifferentiated · unconcerned · shitty · nondifferent · pococurante · gallionic · otiose · decent · unpartial · cool · cool
Translations (113)
fi yhdentekevä (mediocre, usually used negatively) · ro indiferent (not caring) · grc ἄτρεπτος (not caring) · la indifferens (not caring) · tr kayıtsız (not caring) · hu közepes (mediocre, usually used negatively) · el αδιάφορος (not caring) · tl malatuba (not caring) · bg безпристра́стен (having no preference) · mi tōkeke (having no preference) · uk рівноду́шний (not caring) · uk байду́жливий (not caring) · ro apatic (not caring) · gd coma (not caring) · ca mediocre (mediocre, usually used negatively) · da ligegyldig (not significant) · uk байду́жний (not caring) · mi ngākau kore (not caring) · ga lagmheasartha (mediocre, usually used negatively) · fi indifferentti (mechanics: being in neutral equilibrium) · ase 1@Nose-FingerBack 1@FromNose-FingerForward (not caring) · hu érdektelen (not caring) · hu közömbös (not significant) · az biganə (not caring) · ja 冷淡な (not caring) · ro indiferent (mechanics: being in neutral equilibrium) · ja 無関心な (not caring) · sh равно̀душан (not caring) · mi haumaruru (not caring) · ru посре́дственный (mediocre, usually used negatively) · hu lényegtelen (not significant) · hy անտարբեր (not caring) · fi mitäänsanomaton (mediocre, usually used negatively) · ru безразли́чный (not caring) · la incūriōsus (not caring) · be раўнаду́шны (not caring) · bg незначи́телен (not significant) · cmn 冷淡 (not caring) · be абыя́кавы (not caring) · tt битараф (not caring) · es ni le viene ni le va (not caring) · nan-hbl 冷淡 (not caring) · pt indiferente (not caring) · hu közömbös (having no preference) · de gleichgültig (not caring) · sdh خەمسەرد (not caring) · hu mellékes (not significant) · tr umursamaz (not caring) · ru безуча́стный (not caring) · mi rōrā (not significant) · ru индиффере́нтный (not caring) · hu közönyös (not caring) · mi ngākaukore (not caring) · fi puolueeton (having no preference) · cmn 冷漠 (not caring) · tr vasat (mediocre, usually used negatively) · uz beparvo (not caring) · hu érzéketlen (not caring) · ca indiferent (having no preference) · de teilnahmslos (not caring) · hi रूखा (not caring) · nl onverschillig (not caring) · sv likgiltig (not caring) · fi merkityksetön (not significant) · da ligeglad (having no preference) · ja どこ吹く風の (not caring) · mi arokore (not caring) · pl mierny (mediocre, usually used negatively) · tr önemsiz (not significant) · da ligeglad (not caring) · lt abejingas (not caring) · ru равноду́шный (not caring) · mi ngākau tapatahi (having no preference) · be безува́жны (not caring) · it indifferente (not caring) · pl obojętny (not caring) · tr kararsız (having no preference) · bg незначи́телен (mediocre, usually used negatively) · ko 무관심하다 (not caring) · nn likesæl (not caring) · sh ravnòdušan (not caring) · el μέτριος (mediocre, usually used negatively) · mi whakamoroki (not caring) · mk рамнодушен (not caring) · fi välinpitämätön (not caring) · tr ilgisiz (not caring) · gl indiferente (not caring) · pl marny (mediocre, usually used negatively) · he אָדִישׁ (not caring) · az laqeyd (not caring) · hu középszerű (mediocre, usually used negatively) · mi rōrā (mediocre, usually used negatively) · la mediocris (mediocre, usually used negatively) · nb likegyldig (not caring) · cs lhostejný (not caring) · es desganado (not caring) · ga fuarchúiseach (not caring) · fi keskinkertainen (mediocre, usually used negatively) · es apático (not caring) · sk ľahostajný (not caring) · hu érdektelen (not significant) · bg безразли́чен (not caring) · fr indifférent (not caring) · fi mitätön (not significant) · hu közömbös (not caring) · bg равноду́шен (not caring) · ca indiferent (not caring) · bg безучастен (not caring) · fi vähäinen (not significant) · gl indiferente (having no preference) · tt уртача (mediocre, usually used negatively) · es indiferente (not caring) · uk байду́жий (not caring)