IDC

IDC means “I don’t care.” Depending on the moment, it can be relaxed and easygoing, or cold and dismissive.

The two sides of IDC

The friendly version is about flexibility. “Pizza or tacos?” “idc, you pick.” Nobody reads anything into that. It just means you’re happy either way.

The other version shows up in arguments. A flat “idc” in reply to something that clearly matters to the other person reads as “I’m not interested in your feelings,” and it usually makes things worse. Text has no tone of voice to soften it, so short replies tend to land harder than intended.

Examples

• “Idc where we eat as long as there’s fries.”
• “Wear whatever, idc, it’s just a barbecue.”
• “Honestly idc what people think about my hair.”

Stronger and softer versions

• idc tbh or idrc (I don’t really care) sound a bit gentler.
• idgaf swaps in a swear word and is much ruder. Keep it for close friends, if anyone.
• idm (I don’t mind) is the polite way to say the same easygoing thing.

Where IDC came from

Dictionary.com records IDC as coming from digital communication, and it’s been part of texting shorthand for years, but nobody has pinned down a first use. You may also see IDC in news or business writing, where it usually refers to the market research firm of that name.

IDC vs. IDK

They’re one letter apart and easy to mix up. IDK means “I don’t know.” IDC means “I don’t care.” Send the wrong one and a simple question can turn into an awkward misunderstanding.

Related terms

• IDK: I don’t know.
• NVM: never mind.
• SMH: shaking my head.
• Unbothered: calm, not affected by drama.

See more terms like this in our texting abbreviations guide.