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
- uninterestedly adverb
- uninterestedness noun
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
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Commonly Confused Words, List 9
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
List 6
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
“I tell her that statistically, I’m going to die before you,” but she has so far remained uninterested.
From MarketWatch • Feb. 10, 2026
She was spectacularly uninterested: “OK. And what location is your preference?”
From Slate • Jan. 13, 2026
About a year after the rebrand, internal company documents showed the transition grappling with glitchy technology, uninterested users and a lack of clarity about what it would take to succeed.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 4, 2025
But the men are entirely uninterested in negotiating with extraterrestrials.
From Salon • Oct. 31, 2025
She was as uninterested in it as she was in her trousseau, and she left all decisions in the hands of her fiance and her future sister-in-law.
From "The House of the Spirits: A Novel" by Isabel Allende
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.
