Standard Lemma guide

indifferent

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.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: insouciant, nonchalant, adiaphroistic, apathetic, apathistical, blasé, blithe, deaf, cool, shiftless, dispassionate, dull, enervated, gallionic, halfhearted, heartless, impassive, ineffervescible, indifferent, insensible, jaded, languid, languorous, Laodicean, lethargic, listless, lackadaisical, lotophagous, lukewarm, meh, mopey, nonplussed, otiose, phlegmatic, pococurante, spiritless, supine, tepid, torpid, torpedinous, unaroused, uncaring, unconcerned, unenthusiastic, unimpressible, uninterested, unlively, unmoved, untouched, unzealous, world-weary

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Indicating or reflecting a lack of concern or care.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • She responded with an indifferent shrug.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: laid-back, pococurante, airy, at ease, at peace, carefree, careless, casual, chill, cool, devil-may-care, easy-breezy, easygoing, happy-go-lucky, indifferent, insouciant, leisurely, lighthearted, loose, mellow, nonchalant, relaxed, serene, solute, tranquil, unanxious, unbothered, unconcerned, undisturbed, unruffled, untroubled, unworried, wanton

Antonyms: none provided

3

adj

Meaning 3

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.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: objective, unbiased, candid, cold, clinical, detached, egal, equal, equitable, evenhanded, fairhanded, fair-minded, disinterested, dispassionate, impartial, imprejudicate, indifferent, indistinguishing, neuter, neutral, nonaligned, nonpartial, nonpartisan, nonpersonal, unbigoted, uninterested, unpartial, unpartisan, unprejudiced, unprepossessed

Antonyms: none provided

6

adj

Meaning 6

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

Topics: engineering, mechanical-engineering, mechanics, natural-sciences, physical-sciences

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
Real reading context

indifferent in complete knowledge articles