indifferent

[ in-dif-er-uhnt, -dif-ruhnt ]

/ ɪnˈdɪf ər ənt, -ˈdɪf rənt /

Save This Word!

See synonyms for: indifferent / indifferently on Thesaurus.com

adjective

without interest or concern; not caring; apathetic: his indifferent attitude toward the suffering of others.

having no bias, prejudice, or preference; impartial; disinterested.

neither good nor bad in character or quality; average; routine: an indifferent specimen.

not particularly good, important, etc.; unremarkable; unnotable: an indifferent success; an indifferent performance.

of only moderate amount, extent, etc.

not making a difference, or mattering, one way or the other.

immaterial or unimportant.

not essential or obligatory, as an observance.

making no difference or distinction, as between persons or things: indifferent justice.

neutral in chemical, electric, or magnetic quality.

Biology. not differentiated or specialized, as cells or tissues.

noun

an ethically or morally indifferent act.

a person who is indifferent, especially in matters of religion or politics.

adverb

Archaic. indifferently: I am indifferent well.

OTHER WORDS FOR indifferent

4 mediocre, undistinguished, uninspired, commonplace.

See synonyms for indifferent on Thesaurus.com

QUIZ

WILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?

Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!

Question 1 of 7

Fill in the blank: I can’t figure out _____ gave me this gift.

who

whom

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of indifferent

1350–1400; Middle English (adj.) <Latin indifferent- (stem of indifferēns). See in-³, different

OTHER WORDS FROM indifferent

in·dif·fer·ent·ly, adverbqua·si-in·dif·fer·ent, adjectivequa·si-in·dif·fer·ent·ly, adverbsu·per·in·dif·fer·ent, adjective

su·per·in·dif·fer·ent·ly, adverb

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use indifferent in a sentence

I’ve been snowshoeing for almost two hours, my legs are quaking, my Under Armour base layer is now sodden, and there’s no one to complain to but the indifferent and overwhelmingly silent winter forest.
He escaped the cacophony by strapping on snowshoes and slipping into the Great North Woods|Miles Howard|January 15, 2021|Washington Post
Truthfully, even if I’d had more time, I would not have had the patience to pour over some of the puzzles because I was indifferent to Norah’s fate.
‘Call of the Sea’: Strictly for hardcore puzzlers|Christopher Byrd|January 15, 2021|Washington Post
Cats are living their own lives and that’s why they seem so indifferent to us.
Everything is awful. Here’s a Q&A with a philosopher about why cats rule.|Sean Illing|January 15, 2021|Vox
Keats’ thought-experiment is a stark reminder that the natural world is indifferent to human-created time and operates at its own, natural pace.
Humans Have Rights and So Should Nature - Issue 94: Evolving|Grant Wilson|January 6, 2021|Nautilus

She recalls being struck both by how much Huser raced, and by how indifferent she seemed to be about the self-promotional side of the sport.
Trail Runner Andrea Huser Dies After Fall in the Alps|Martin Fritz Huber|December 3, 2020|Outside Online
I looked at him indifferently until he went into the church.
Read ‘The King in Yellow,’ the ‘True Detective’ Reference That’s the Key to the Show|Robert W. Chambers|February 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Even drinking and sex seem low-level pleasures, taken up indifferently.
Must Read Novels: Ballard, Dybek, and Krasznahorkai|Jacob Silverman, Malcolm Forbes, John McIntyre|April 23, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Her bow was returned, indifferently by Evelyn, but by Hugh with eyes of steel, and a mouth of bronze.
Rosemary in Search of a Father|C. N. Williamson
Probably these names were indifferently applied, in that early time, alike to river and village.
The Jesuit Relations and Allied Documents, Vol. II: Acadia, 1612-1614|Various
Mademoiselle was poking at a rusty stove that smoked a little and warmed the room indifferently.
The Awakening and Selected Short Stories|Kate Chopin
He seated himself in his black horse-hair armchair, and she leaned against the window, indifferently.
Summer|Edith Wharton
But no matter what happens, time and the world rolls by as indifferently as though there was nothing worth bothering about.
The Whale and the Grasshopper|Seumas O'Brien

British Dictionary definitions for indifferent

indifferent

/ (ɪnˈdɪfrənt, -fərənt) /

adjective

(often foll by to) showing no care or concern; uninterestedhe was indifferent to my pleas

unimportant; immaterial

of only average or moderate size, extent, quality, etc
not at all good; poor

showing or having no preferences; impartial

biology

(of cells or tissues) not differentiated or specialized
(of a species) not found in any particular community

Derived forms of indifferent

indifferently, adverb

Word Origin for indifferent

C14: from Latin indifferēns making no distinction

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

indifferent

OTHER WORDS FOR indifferent

Origin of indifferent

OTHER WORDS FROM indifferent

Words related to indifferent

How to use indifferent in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for indifferent

Derived forms of indifferent

Word Origin for indifferent