Could Care Less vs Couldn’t Care Less: Which Is It?

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Language isn’t static—no surprise, right? That’s how trendy words get added to the dictionary, like rizz, which means “romantic appeal or charm.”

Because language is constantly evolving, even technically correct answers can sometimes find themselves ignored to the point that the incorrect answer becomes accepted.

And that’s what we’re seeing in the case of could care less vs. couldn’t care less.

Technically, when you make a verbal slam, such as “I couldn’t care less” (which you should most definitely follow with an indignant sniff), you’re essentially saying you have no more cares to give. Not one iota. You are done caring.

But over time, people have flubbed the expression. Picture a pointed exchange between two people where one crosses their arms and spits, “I could care less what you think.”

Oy. Word nerds and writers like me tend to go “D’oh!” followed by giggles because of the illogical statement. If you don’t care about something, is it possible to care even less than that?

The problem is that many people don’t know the technically correct expression. Or perhaps they’re so blinded by fury from the intended insult that their brains are able to gloss over the mistake.

In any event, while “I couldn’t care less” is technically correct, the reality is that “I could care less” has slipped into the mainstream. Dictionaries recognize both phrases as synonymous. If you’re a purist or pedant bemoaning this reality, consider what Merriam-Webster has to say:

But if you are the kind of person who cries out against this abomination we must warn you that people who go through life expecting informal variant idioms in English to behave logically are setting themselves up for a lifetime of hurt.

Similar debates happen between irregardless vs. regardless.

Here, the answer is a little more straightforward.

If someone says, “Irregardless of what you think, I’m really a sensitive person,” are they correct? Or should it be “regardless”?

Answer: It should be “regardless.”

Here’s the catch, though: Many will argue that “irregardless” isn’t a word. But it is a word. And in casual speech, you will hear people say “irregardless.”

Merriam-Webster labels the word “irregardless” as nonstandard.

When a word is nonstandard it means it is “not conforming in pronunciation, grammatical construction, idiom, or word choice to the usage generally characteristic of educated native speakers of a language.” Irregardless is a long way from winning general acceptance as a standard English word. For that reason, it is best to use regardless instead.

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