51Թ

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View synonyms for

unbothered

[ uhn-both-erd ]

adjective

  1. not experiencing mental or physical discomfort: He was unbothered about not being picked for the team.

    He was unbothered by the cold.

    He was unbothered about not being picked for the team.

  2. Slang. indifferent to criticism or negative comments; not annoyed or provoked: They swear they’re unbothered, but they care.

    She was unbothered by her many haters.

    They swear they’re unbothered, but they care.



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51Թ History and Origins

Origin of unbothered1

First recorded in 1900–10; un- 1( def ) + bother ( def ) + -ed 2( def )
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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

He doesn’t look lonely, but unbothered.

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Experts were largely unbothered by Goldie's continued refusal to return to the zoo, knowing he would come down "once he gets hungry".

From

But it’s Streep’s commitment to Colleen Sr.’s laid back, unbothered demeanor that steals the sketch.

From

One group, though, was unbothered: The Anti-Defamation League, which has as its mission fighting antisemitism and bigotry more broadly.

From

Also, it features one of the most unbothered coworkers I've ever seen who is now my hero.

From

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More About Unbothered

What doesunbothered mean?

Unbothered means not experiencing any discomfort—physically, emotionally, or in another other way. If you’re unbothered, nothing is bothering you.

To be bothered by something is to be worried about it or to feel discomfort from it in some way.

Unbothered is especially used in the context of things that could hurt or bother a person but don’t, as in I’m unbothered by the pain, honestly—it’s the waiting that gets to me.

Unbothered is also commonly used in a more informal way to mean completely unaffected by or indifferent to a bad or difficult situation or poor treatment, such as criticism or negative comments. In this way, it means something like nonchalant, as in You seem so unbothered—how can you be so chill about it?

Unbothered can be followed by the source of the discomfort, as in He seems unbothered by the attention, or it can be used by itself, as in He seems completely unbothered.

Example: Although Sarah desperately wanted the promotion, she did her best to seem unbothered when it was awarded to Jack.

Where doesunbothered come from?

The first records of the word unbothered come from around 1900. The prefix un means “not.” Though the word bothered can be used as an adjective or as the past tense of the verb bother, unbothered is only ever used as an adjective.

When someone is described with the more informal sense of unbothered, it implies that they are remaining completely confident and carefree in spite of whatever nonsense is happening or being thrown their way. When someone is unbothered in this way, nothing gets to them. Insults bounce right off of them. Oh, you’re trying to get a rise out of them? They didn’t even notice. Because they’re unbothered.

Of course, while some people are truly unbothered by criticism or negative comments, others simply pretend to be unbothered so as not to encourage such treatment.

Did you know ... ?

What are some synonyms for unbothered?

What are some words that share a root or word element with unbothered?

What are some words that often get used in discussing unbothered?

How isunbothered used in real life?

Unbothered is usually used in a positive way in admiration of someone who’s able to keep it together despite a difficult situation, poor treatment, or pain.

Try usingunbothered!

Which of the following words is an antonym (opposite) of unbothered?

A. agitated
B. nonchalant
C. aloof
D. unconcerned

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