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- Usually, when someone says “I could care less,” they are actually trying to say the opposite. Because these two phrases are so easily confused, if you want to be precise about your grammar, especially in your writing, it may be better to just say “I don’t care,” which is similarly informal.
www.grammarly.com/blog/couldnt-care-less/
People also ask
What does 'could care less' mean?
Is it better to say “I don't care” or “I couldn't care”?
Is 'I could care less' grammatically correct?
What if you couldn't care less?
Oct 19, 2023 · Is “I couldn’t care less” or “I could care less correct”? If you could not care any less than you do, opt for “I couldn’t care less.” It is the grammatically correct use of the phrase. Though “I could care less” is acceptable in most social settings, it can lead to confusion. Why is “I could care less” incorrect?
I couldn't care less is another way to say "I don't care at all." It uses a rhetorical device called litotes, in which you negate the opposite of what you mean. When you say that your older brother is not the most considerate guy, you're using litotes to suggest that he's quite inconsiderate.
Although I could care less is included in some dictionaries as a variant, the correct phrase is I couldn’t care less. Semantically, I couldn’t care less means I don’t care, whereas I could care less means I do care.
"Couldn’t care less" and "could care less" are both used to mean someone doesn’t care at all, but English teachers and grammarians will say that only "couldn't care less" is correct, so that is what you should use in formal or academic writing.
Mar 6, 2017 · Let’s start off with the meaning. “I couldn’t care less” means: “I don’t care”, “I don’t give a damn” (informal), “I’m completely indifferent”, or “It doesn’t matter”. Even if “could care less” literally means the opposite, it has the same meaning of "couldn't care less" .
May 1, 2022 · “I couldn’t care less” and “I could care less” are used interchangeably in spoken English to mean “I do not care at all.” The grammatically correct expression is “I couldn’t care less,” while “I could care less” generally only has the same meaning when used with a sarcastic tone.
'Could care less' irks some people because it suggests a modicum of caring where one is saying they don't care at all. 'Couldn't' is what the people want. Turns out both are acceptable.
