uninterested
Americanadjective
-
having or showing no feeling of interest; indifferent.
-
not personally concerned in something.
- Synonyms:
- unconcerned
adjective
Commonly Confused
See disinterested.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of uninterested
First recorded in 1640–50; un- 1 + interested
Explanation
Uninterested describes someone who doesn't pay attention or care. If you're uninterested in touring old homes and shopping for antiques, you might be bored on vacation with your aunt and her friends. The adjective uninterested is the one you'll use if you really don't care about something. You might be uninterested in the economics textbook chapter you keep trying to read, or uninterested in the celebrity gossip everyone is sharing. Uninterested is like bored. The Latin root word of interest is interresse, or to be of importance. So when something's not important to you, you're uninterested.
Vocabulary lists containing uninterested
Commonly Confused Words, List 3
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Commonly Confused Words, List 9
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List 6
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Uninterested in the fan’s suggestions on how to play, Kyrgios replied that he didn’t tell Stiller how to act.
From Seattle Times • Mar. 17, 2022
Uninterested in world building or creating any sense of stakes, “Red Notice” is merely an expensive brandishing of star power — only the stars haven’t got it in them.
From New York Times • Nov. 11, 2021
Uninterested in displaying his wealth, he now drives a Mini to training at Chelsea.
From BBC • Mar. 28, 2017
Constantin Gurdgiev, an economist at Trinity College Dublin says the Celtic tiger became a "Celtic Garfield", referring to the plump orange cartoon character: "Uninterested, fat and unwilling to change."
From The Guardian • Dec. 5, 2010
Uninterested in Mom, me, and the teapot he's all but forgotten about, Taro stuffs the rest of his sandwich into his mouth, swallows the lump of bread, and says, “Forget it. I'm not hungry.”
From "Starfish" by Akemi Dawn Bowman
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
