adj · adv · noun · 20 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
/ɪnˈdɪf.ɹənt/
/ɪnˈdɪf.ə.ɹənt/
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:IH2 N D IH1 F R AH0 N T
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
CMU ARPABET 2:IH2 N D IH1 F ER0 AH0 N T
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
adj
Meaning 1
Ambivalent; unconcerned; uninterested, apathetic.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
He was indifferent to the proposal, since it didn’t affect him, either way.
Mediocre (usually used negatively in modern usage).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
The long distance and the indifferent roads made the journey impossible.
The Blue Jays' performance has been indifferent this season.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: lackluster, ordinary, average, comme ci comme ça, crappy, decent, indifferent, meh, mediocre, mid, middling, no great shakes, nothing to write home about, not worth writing home about, OK, okayish, pedestrian, unexceptional, uninspiring, shitty, so-so, tolerable, whatever
Antonyms: none provided
4
adj
Meaning 4
Having no preference.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
I am indifferent between the two plans.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
5
adj
Meaning 5
Unbiased, impartial, judging fairly.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: dated
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Not making a difference; without significance or importance.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
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.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: negligible, unimportant, base, contemptible, floccinaucinihilipilificatious, foolish, for the birds, futile, frivolous, idle, ignorable, immaterial, inconsequential, inconsiderable, indifferent, insignificant, like a fart in a windstorm, meager, mean, minor, miserable, nothingburger, nondescript, null, paltry, petty, picayune, picayunish, piddling, piddly, pissant, pissass, piteous, pitiful, pointless, silly, simple, slight, ticky-tacky, tin-pot, trifling, trivial, two-bit, unweighty, vain, worthless, wretched
Antonyms: none provided
7
adj
Meaning 7
Being in the state of neutral equilibrium.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
8
adj
Meaning 8
Not different; matching.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: obsolete
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: identical, undifferentiated, indifferent, nondifferent, one and the same, self, selfsame, undifferent
Antonyms: none provided
9
adv
Meaning 9
To some extent, in some degree (intermediate between very and not at all); moderately, tolerably, fairly.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: obsolete
Examples
The face of the Moon appearing to me to be full of indifferent high mountains.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: acceptably, adequately, averagely, fairly, halfway, in a way, indifferent, mackly, moderately, middlesome, middling, middlingly, not quite, partially, passably, quite, rather, reasonably, somewhat, somewhatly, sufficiently, tolerably
Antonyms: none provided
10
adv
Meaning 10
Without distinction or preference for some over others.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: obsolete
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
11
noun
Meaning 11
A person who is indifferent or apathetic.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
12
adjective satellite
Meaning 12
showing no care or concern in attitude or action
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
indifferent to the sufferings of others
indifferent to her plea
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
13
adjective satellite
Meaning 13
(often followed by `to') lacking importance; not mattering one way or the other
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
whether you choose to do it or not is a matter that is quite immaterial (or indifferent)
what others think is altogether indifferent to him
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: immaterial
Antonyms: none provided
14
adjective satellite
Meaning 14
marked by a lack of interest
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
an apathetic audience
the universe is neither hostile nor friendly; it is simply indifferent
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: apathetic
Antonyms: none provided
15
adjective satellite
Meaning 15
neither too great nor too little
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
a couple of indifferent hills to climb
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
16
adjective satellite
Meaning 16
being neither good nor bad
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
an indifferent performance
a gifted painter but an indifferent actor
her work at the office is passable
a so-so golfer
feeling only so-so
prepared a tolerable dinner
a tolerable working knowledge of French
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: so-so(p)
Antonyms: none provided
17
adjective satellite
Meaning 17
characterized by a lack of partiality
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
a properly indifferent jury
an unbiasgoted account of her family problems
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: unbiased, unbiassed
Antonyms: none provided
18
adjective satellite
Meaning 18
marked by no especial liking or dislike or preference for one thing over another
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
indifferent about which book you would give them
was indifferent to their acceptance or rejection of her invitation
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
19
adjective satellite
Meaning 19
having only a limited ability to react chemically; chemically inactive
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
inert matter
an indifferent chemical in a reaction
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: inert, neutral
Antonyms: none provided
20
adjective satellite
Meaning 20
fairly poor to not very good
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
has an indifferent singing voice
has indifferent qualifications for the job
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
History
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *né Proto-Indo-European *n̥- Proto-Italic *n̥- Latin in- Proto-Indo-European *dwóh1 Proto-Indo-European *d(w)is- Proto-Italic *dis- Latin dis- Proto-Indo-European *bher- 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.
Across languages
Translations
113 source translations are retained for this English entry.
American Sign Language:
1@Nose-FingerBack 1@FromNose-FingerForward
— not caring
Armenian:
անտարբեր
(antarber)
— not caring
Azerbaijani:
laqeyd
— not caring
Azerbaijani:
biganə
— not caring
Belarusian:
абыя́кавы
(abyjákavy)
— not caring
Belarusian:
безува́жны
(bjezuvážny)
— not caring
Belarusian:
раўнаду́шны
(rawnadúšny)
— not caring
Bulgarian:
равноду́шен
(ravnodúšen)
— not caring
Bulgarian:
безразли́чен
(bezrazlíčen)
— not caring
Bulgarian:
безучастен
(bezučasten)
— not caring
Catalan:
indiferent
— not caring
Chinese:
冷淡
(zh-min-nan)
— not caring
Chinese Mandarin:
冷漠
(lěngmò)
— not caring
Chinese Mandarin:
冷淡
(lěngdàn)
— not caring
Czech:
lhostejný
— not caring
Danish:
ligeglad
— not caring
Dutch:
onverschillig
— not caring
Finnish:
välinpitämätön
— not caring
French:
indifférent
— not caring
Galician:
indiferente
— not caring
German:
gleichgültig
— not caring
German:
teilnahmslos
— not caring
Greek:
αδιάφορος
(adiáforos)
— not caring
Ancient Greek:
ἄτρεπτος
(átreptos)
— not caring
Hebrew:
אָדִישׁ
(adísh)
— not caring
Hindi:
रूखा
(rūkhā)
— not caring
Hungarian:
közömbös
— not caring
Hungarian:
közönyös
— not caring
Hungarian:
érdektelen
— not caring
Hungarian:
érzéketlen
— not caring
Irish:
fuarchúiseach
— not caring
Italian:
indifferente
— not caring
Japanese:
冷淡な
(reitan na)
— not caring
Japanese:
無関心な
(mukanshin na)
— not caring
Japanese:
どこ吹く風の
(dokofukukaze no)
— not caring
Korean:
무관심하다
(mugwansimhada)
— not caring
Southern Kurdish:
خەمسەرد
(xemserd)
— not caring
Latin:
incūriōsus
— not caring
Latin:
indifferens
— not caring
Lithuanian:
abejingas
— not caring
Macedonian:
рамнодушен
(ramnodušen)
— not caring
Māori:
arokore
— not caring
Māori:
haumaruru
— not caring
Māori:
ngākau kore
— not caring
Māori:
ngākaukore
— not caring
Māori:
whakamoroki
— not caring
Norwegian Bokmål:
likegyldig
— not caring
Norwegian Nynorsk:
likesæl
— not caring
Polish:
obojętny
— not caring
Portuguese:
indiferente
— not caring
Romanian:
indiferent
— not caring
Romanian:
apatic
— not caring
Russian:
равноду́шный
(ravnodúšnyj)
— not caring
Russian:
безразли́чный
(bezrazlíčnyj)
— not caring
Russian:
безуча́стный
(bezučástnyj)
— not caring
Russian:
индиффере́нтный
(indifferéntnyj)
— not caring
Scottish Gaelic:
coma
— not caring
Serbo-Croatian:
равно̀душан
— not caring
Serbo-Croatian:
ravnòdušan
— not caring
Slovak:
ľahostajný
— not caring
Spanish:
indiferente
— not caring
Spanish:
apático
— not caring
Spanish:
desganado
— not caring
Spanish:
ni le viene ni le va
— not caring
Swedish:
likgiltig
— not caring
Tagalog:
malatuba
— not caring
Tatar:
битараф
(bitaraf)
— not caring
Turkish:
umursamaz
— not caring
Turkish:
ilgisiz
— not caring
Turkish:
kayıtsız
— not caring
Ukrainian:
байду́жий
(bajdúžyj)
— not caring
Ukrainian:
байду́жний
(bajdúžnyj)
— not caring
Ukrainian:
байду́жливий
(bajdúžlyvyj)
— not caring
Ukrainian:
рівноду́шний
(rivnodúšnyj)
— not caring
Uzbek:
beparvo
— not caring
Bulgarian:
незначи́телен
(neznačítelen)
— mediocre, usually used negatively
Catalan:
mediocre
— mediocre, usually used negatively
Finnish:
keskinkertainen
— mediocre, usually used negatively
Finnish:
mitäänsanomaton
— mediocre, usually used negatively
Finnish:
yhdentekevä
— mediocre, usually used negatively
Greek:
μέτριος
(métrios)
— mediocre, usually used negatively
Hungarian:
középszerű
— mediocre, usually used negatively
Hungarian:
közepes
— mediocre, usually used negatively
Irish:
lagmheasartha
— mediocre, usually used negatively
Latin:
mediocris
— mediocre, usually used negatively
Māori:
rōrā
— mediocre, usually used negatively
Polish:
mierny
— mediocre, usually used negatively
Polish:
marny
— mediocre, usually used negatively
Russian:
посре́дственный
(posrédstvennyj)
— mediocre, usually used negatively
Tatar:
уртача
(urtaça)
— mediocre, usually used negatively
Turkish:
vasat
— mediocre, usually used negatively
Bulgarian:
безпристра́стен
(bezpristrásten)
— having no preference
Catalan:
indiferent
— having no preference
Danish:
ligeglad
— having no preference
Finnish:
puolueeton
— having no preference
Galician:
indiferente
— having no preference
Hungarian:
közömbös
— having no preference
Māori:
ngākau tapatahi
— having no preference
Māori:
tōkeke
— having no preference
Turkish:
kararsız
— having no preference
Bulgarian:
незначи́телен
(neznačítelen)
— not significant
Danish:
ligegyldig
— not significant
Finnish:
mitätön
— not significant
Finnish:
merkityksetön
— not significant
Finnish:
vähäinen
— not significant
Hungarian:
érdektelen
— not significant
Hungarian:
mellékes
— not significant
Hungarian:
közömbös
— not significant
Hungarian:
lényegtelen
— not significant
Māori:
rōrā
— not significant
Turkish:
önemsiz
— not significant
Finnish:
indifferentti
— mechanics: being in neutral equilibrium
Romanian:
indiferent
— mechanics: being in neutral equilibrium