rather indifferent to

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "rather indifferent to" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to express a moderate level of indifference or lack of interest towards something or someone. Example: "She seemed rather indifferent to the outcome of the game, as if it didn't matter to her at all."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

4 human-written examples

League players seemed rather indifferent to the new options.

The New York Times

It is interesting that Americans their opinion leaders at least—have been rather indifferent to the economic growth plight of their country in these 2000s, when growth has been below the norm, at 2% per year instead of over 3%.

Forbes

They had limited experience in the practice of EBM and were rather indifferent to the impact of EBM on medical practice.

Plosone

Remarkably, CTLA-4 blockade during LCMV infection had no effect on T cell expansion, indicating that LCMV-specific CD8+ T cells are rather indifferent to enhanced B7-mediated signals.

eLife

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

56 human-written examples

Duch, in Cruvellier's account, comes across as meticulous and intelligent, rather arrogant, indifferent to some witnesses and shattered by others, ready to confess, but, finally, incapable of fully coming to grips with the enormity of the crimes or his willing participation in them.

The New Yorker

He said, for example, that "Céline pretended to be a rather indifferent, even irresponsible physician, when he seems in fact to have worked hard at his practice and to have been conscientious about his patients.

Vice

Some are fine, but many tend to be rather indifferent mixtures of crabmeat and bottled mayonnaise.

The New York Times - Food

When Marvel released Captain America: The First Avenger in July 2011 through its then distribution partner Paramount, the film went on to gross a rather indifferent £10.4m in the UK over the course of its lifetime.

The Guardian - Film

He invented the René Saavedra character, but his Saavedra is very different from Mr. Larrain's: 50ish, politically engaged, idealistic and happily married rather than 30ish, indifferent to politics, careerist and separated.

The New York Times

His personal style had some endearingly quirky ingredients, including a Cockney-flavored but cosmopolitan manner of speaking, a knack of lifting his eyebrows to register comic disbelief and a flair for managing to seem irresistible to the heroine while remaining rather passive and indifferent to her at the same time.

The New York Times

In this passage, Descartes seems to deny the existence of inertial force if conceived as a form of Scholastic quality that material bodies can possess; rather, bodies are "indifferent to motion", so even the slightest weight should move the entire earth.

SEP

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "rather indifferent to" when you want to express a moderate level of disinterest or lack of concern, without implying strong negativity or opposition.

Common error

Avoid using "rather indifferent to" too frequently in your writing, as the word "rather" can sometimes weaken the impact of your statement. Consider stronger synonyms or rephrasing for a more direct tone.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "rather indifferent to" functions as an adjectival phrase modifying a noun or pronoun, indicating a moderate lack of interest or concern. As Ludwig AI indicates, it's a valid and usable expression in English. The examples provided show its use in describing attitudes towards various subjects.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

50%

Science

25%

Academia

25%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "rather indifferent to" is a grammatically sound and usable expression in English, indicating a moderate level of disinterest or lack of concern. Ludwig AI confirms its validity. It's considered neutral in tone and suitable for various contexts, including news, science, and academic writing. While not extremely common, it effectively conveys a sense of mild apathy. Related phrases include "somewhat apathetic towards" and "fairly unconcerned about". When using this phrase, avoid overuse of "rather" and consider stronger synonyms for a more direct impact. The most frequent sources that employ the expression are The New York Times, Forbes, Plosone and eLife.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

somewhat apathetic towards

Uses "apathetic" instead of "indifferent", implying a lack of emotion, and replaces "to" with "towards".

fairly unconcerned about

Replaces "indifferent" with "unconcerned", suggesting a lack of worry, and "to" with "about".

relatively uninterested in

Substitutes "indifferent" with "uninterested", highlighting a lack of interest, and "to" with "in".

quite unmoved by

Emphasizes a lack of emotional impact using "unmoved" instead of "indifferent" and changes the preposition to "by".

not particularly bothered by

Indicates a lack of concern or annoyance, replacing "indifferent" with "bothered" and "to" with "by".

rather nonchalant about

Implies a casual lack of concern using "nonchalant" instead of "indifferent" and substitutes "to" with "about".

somewhat detached from

Suggests a lack of connection or involvement, using "detached" instead of "indifferent" and changes the preposition to "from".

not especially enthusiastic about

Indicates a lack of excitement or passion, replacing "indifferent" with "enthusiastic" and "to" with "about".

kind of apathetic to

Adds "kind of" to soften the expression, making it more casual. "Apathetic" replaces "indifferent".

mildly disinterested in

Uses "mildly" to temper the strength of the disinterest, and replaces "indifferent" with "disinterested" and changes the preposition to "in".

FAQs

How can I use "rather indifferent to" in a sentence?

You can use "rather indifferent to" to describe someone's moderate lack of interest or concern about something. For example, "He seemed "rather indifferent to" the outcome of the election".

What's the difference between "rather indifferent to" and "completely indifferent to"?

"Rather indifferent to" implies a moderate level of disinterest, while "completely indifferent to" indicates a total lack of interest or concern. The former suggests a mild apathy, whereas the latter signifies a complete lack of feeling.

What can I say instead of "rather indifferent to"?

You can use alternatives like "somewhat apathetic towards", "fairly unconcerned about", or "relatively uninterested in" depending on the context.

Is it formal to use "rather indifferent to"?

"Rather indifferent to" is suitable for both formal and informal contexts. It maintains a neutral tone and is readily understood across different registers.