indisposed

Meanings

1. 1adjectiveafter a verbeuphemistic

   Slightly ill, and so unable to do what you had planned.

   Grammar: Used after be or seem, not usually before a noun: she is indisposed.

   Patterns

   • be indisposed

   The speaker is indisposed, so the lecture is canceled.

   I was indisposed with a headache and missed the dinner.

   Sorry, the manager is indisposed and cannot see visitors today.

2. 2adjectiveafter a verbliteraryold-fashioned

   Not willing or inclined to do something.

   Grammar: Followed by to plus a verb: indisposed to help.

   Patterns

   • be indisposed to do something

   The council was indisposed to accept the proposal.

   He felt indisposed to argue after such a long day.

   The judge seemed indisposed to listen to further appeals.

Common combinations

temporarily indisposed

The director is temporarily indisposed and will return tomorrow.

be indisposed with something

He was indisposed with a fever.

indisposed to do something

She was indisposed to lend money again.

feel indisposed

I feel slightly indisposed and will skip the party.

currently indisposed

The pianist is currently indisposed.

Synonyms and how they differ

unwell

A neutral, everyday word, while indisposed is more formal and often used to avoid giving details.

under the weather

An informal idiom for mild illness, which is more casual than indisposed.

ailing

Suggests a longer or more serious illness than the brief indisposed.

reluctant

Covers the unwilling sense of indisposed but is much more common and less formal.

Opposites

Word family

indisposition noun

a minor illness, or a reluctance to do something

dispose verb

to make someone inclined to something, as in dispose him to agree

disposed adjective

inclined or willing, as in disposed to help

Commonly confused: indisposed or disposed?

Practice

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Write a sentence using “indisposed”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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