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.
But Rolf von Kiaer, a friend and antiquities dealer, wrote in a tribute that Gradel was “completely uninterested in profit but driven by a desire that an overlooked object should be properly appreciated once more.”
From The Wall Street Journal • May 21, 2026
“The vast majority are uninterested in this, which makes me wonder why we’re attacking the public information sector in the middle of an information age.”
From Salon • Apr. 26, 2026
Most Australians the BBC spoke to were either unaware or uninterested in the couple's visit.
From BBC • Apr. 18, 2026
You and your adviser need to find a way to engage the uninterested partner in ways they like to learn, perhaps in a more casual setting or from YouTube videos.
From MarketWatch • Feb. 10, 2026
Joan, tied to her homework—she was an honor student—quickly became uninterested in chess and didn’t have time for it, so Bobby taught his mother the moves.
From "Endgame" by Frank Brady
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.
