I am having trouble thinking of a word that can describe this type of situation.
Just as an example, over text, explaining something in detail to someone only to have them give a response such as, "Yeah... I see." It's not really "rude" but it almost feels as if they have more to say about it.
What would be a better way to describe this? Is there a word for it?
The ellipsis (...) as it is used nowadays has often struck me as being a sign of laziness... an unwillingness to finish a sentence. In other cases, it emphasizes the person's indifference and total lack of interest in the topic being discussed.
- Meh,... I guess so
- Yeah, ... whatever
In the OP's scenario, the message received:
- Yeah,... I see
might express the texter's indecisiveness or hesitancy, the number of dots acting as a visual indicator of their thinking in progress, in other words, the person is saying "I need more time to mull things over". Conversely, the three dots might represent the writer's decision not to express a direct opinion, otherwise known as hedging. The ellipsis could also be hinting a lukewarm disagreement, especially true if it is the only response given to a detailed proposal. If, however, the response was immediate it might be interpreted as a sign of politeness, the texter/sender acknowledging they have read the message and the ellipsis implies the promise of a more detailed and thoughtful reply in the not too distant future... but I wouldn't bet on it.
To me it seems like the person is being dismissive. They are not taking the time to consider your well-reasoned explanation.
reacting to something in a way that shows you do not think it is worth paying attention to
