Useful English Word or Phrase to Boost Your English: Not Bothered

Quick summary: A common informal phrase meaning not interested, not worried, or not willing to make the effort.

What does it mean?

Not bothered can mean I do not care much about that, I am not worried about it, or I do not feel like doing it.

Is it positive or negative?

It is neutral to negative depending on tone.

When do you use it?

Use it when reacting casually to plans, opinions, minor problems, or things that do not matter much to you.

Examples

Example 1: We can sit inside or outside - I'm not bothered.

Example 2: I was going to go out, but I'm really not bothered now.

Question for you

What is something other people care about that you are not bothered by?

Are you looking for English speaking practice online?

Are you looking for English speaking practice online? I offer online English lessons using Teams, Google Meet, and Zoom for my high-quality classes. My English speaking lessons are perfect if you are not getting enough speaking practice and want to improve your spoken fluency, accuracy, and learn natural vocabulary directly from a British native speaker. If you want to study English with a British native speaker online, you can find out more about lessons here. For another useful word, see cant be arsed.