indisposed
part of speech
adjective
meaning for a pupil
1) (formal, euphemism) Slightly ill, so not able to come or work. tree →
2) (formal) Not willing to do something, as in «indisposed to help». tree →
sense in the lessons
A polite, formal way of saying someone is ill or unavailable: «The singer is indisposed tonight». It is often a euphemism, so the reason is kept private. In old stories servants say «Her Ladyship is indisposed». Sense 2 is rare and very formal.
examples
- The head teacher is indisposed today, so the deputy will take assembly. tree →
- The opera singer was indisposed, and her understudy sang instead. tree →
- «Mr Toad is indisposed and cannot see visitors,» said the butler. tree →
- Grandma felt indisposed after the long journey. tree →
- He was indisposed to lend us his bike. tree →
- The captain was indisposed with a cold. tree →
note
Formal and polite. Noun: indisposition. Not the same as «disposed» (willing). Everyday: unwell, poorly (UK), sick (US). «Indisposed» hides the details, so it is used for privacy.
Trees and pragmatics
Every meaning and example of «indisposed» parsed by Mova, each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.