indifferent

Compared meaning: lacking interest or concern (adjective).

比较义项：对某事缺乏兴趣或不在意（形容词）。

• bored

  Describes feeling dull and restless because a situation lacks stimulation, such as waiting or a slow activity; usually paired with 'by/with' a cause; a passive reaction, not a judgment of worth.

  描述因情境缺乏刺激（如等待或枯燥的活动）而感到乏味、坐立不安；常与表示原因的“by/with”搭配；是一种被动的感受，而不是对事物价值的判断。

  The children got bored waiting for the bus in the rain.

  孩子们在雨中等公交车，等得无聊起来。

• indifferent 本词

  Describes emotional neutrality: no real interest in or concern about an outcome, often used with 'to/about'; can be a lasting attitude, not necessarily tied to dullness or contempt.

  描述情感上的中立：对结果没有真正的兴趣或在意，常与“to/about”搭配；可以是一种持续的态度，不一定与乏味或轻视有关。

  He seemed indifferent to the news and just shrugged quietly.

  他似乎对这个消息漠不关心，只是静静地耸了耸肩。

• dismissive

  Describes an active attitude of treating something as not worth serious consideration, often with a hint of contempt; used with 'of/about', or to describe a tone, remark or gesture.

  描述一种主动的态度，认为某事不值得认真考虑，常带有一丝轻蔑；与“of/about”搭配，或用来形容语气、话语或动作。

  He gave a dismissive shrug when asked about the failed plan.

  被问及那个失败的计划时，他做了个轻蔑的耸肩动作。

All three mean low interest, but differ. Bored is dull restlessness from a lack of stimulation. Indifferent is emotional neutrality, no concern about an outcome. Dismissive is treating something as not worth serious thought, with a hint of contempt. Not compared: indifferent meaning 'mediocre'.

这三个词都表示对某事缺乏兴趣或在意程度较低，但原因和语气不同：bored 强调因单调乏味而心生厌烦；indifferent 强调情感上保持中立、不关心结果；dismissive 则带有主动轻视的意味，认为某事不值得认真考虑，语气更强、更带贬义。这里不比较 indifferent 表示“平庸、普通”的义项，例如 an indifferent performance。

Compared meaning: unimportant, not worth attention (adjective).

比较义项：不重要、无足轻重（形容词）。

• little

  Little is the least formal choice; it softens or downplays something as minor or not worth fuss, usually placed right before a noun rather than used alone after a linking verb.

  little 是其中最口语化的词，常用在“小事”“小争执”“小问题”这类说法里，让某件事听起来没那么严重，一般不单独放在系动词后使用。

  It's just a little misunderstanding between us, nothing to make a fuss about.

  这只是我们之间的一点小误会，没什么好大惊小怪的。

• trivial

  Trivial is neutral and fairly formal; it describes matters, mistakes or facts that carry no real weight and don't deserve serious attention or worry.

  trivial 语气中性、较为正式，用来形容不值得认真对待或担心的事情、错误或事实。

  The report focused on major issues and ignored a few trivial errors.

  报告关注的是重大问题，忽略了一些无关紧要的错误。

• indifferent 本词

  Indifferent is formal and rather uncommon in this sense; it means something makes no real difference either way, similar to 'immaterial', often in phrases like 'a matter of indifferent importance'.

  indifferent 用于此义时比较正式、也较少见，表示某事怎样都没有区别、无关紧要，接近“无关紧要的”，常出现在“无关紧要之事”这类正式表达中。

  The exact meeting time seemed a matter of indifferent importance, so nobody wrote it down.

  确切的开会时间似乎无关紧要，所以没人把它记下来。

• petty

  Petty adds a critical or dismissive tone toward someone making a fuss over something small-scale, often used for disputes, complaints or rules seen as beneath serious attention.

  petty 除了表示不重要，还带有轻蔑或批评的语气，暗示有人在为琐碎的小事斤斤计较，常用于争执、抱怨或规定。

  My coworkers keep arguing over petty things like whose turn it is to refill the printer.

  我的同事总是为一些琐事争吵，比如轮到谁去装打印机的纸。

Little, trivial, indifferent, and petty all mean unimportant. Little is informal, softening something as minor. Trivial is neutral, for matters with no weight. Indifferent is formal, meaning no difference. Petty criticizes someone fussing over something small. Little's size and indifferent's coldness are not compared here.

这几个词在“不重要”这一意义上很接近，但语气和正式程度不同。这里不比较 little 表示“体积小”的常见用法，也不比较 indifferent 表示“冷漠、不关心”的常见用法。