ointresserad

Ointresserad is a Swedish adjective used to describe a lack of interest or indifference toward something or someone. It denotes a passive or negative attitude, in contrast to being curious, engaged, or motivated.

The term is commonly used with prepositions to indicate what someone is not interested in, for example ointresserad av musik or ointresserad av politik. It can describe a person, a group, or a situation, such as en ointresserad elev or en ointresserad publik. In sentences it behaves like a normal Swedish adjective and agrees with the noun in gender and number (for instance en ointresserad elev, två ointresserade elever, ett ointresserat ämne).

Etymology and usage notes: ointresserad forms as a negation built from intresserad with a prefix o- that signals the opposite meaning. It shares this structure with other standard Swedish negations formed in a similar way, and it is widely understood in both spoken and written Swedish.

Related terms and nuances: synonyms include likgiltig and apatisk, though each word carries slightly different shades of indifference. Ointresserad differs from merely being busy or distracted; it specifically highlights a lack of interest or engagement. The term is appropriate in formal or neutral contexts, such as journalism, education, and everyday conversation.

See also: intresserad, likgiltig, apati.