(not) so; (not) particularly; (not) very; (not) that much
Used with a negative verb to express that something is not to a great degree. Often translates as 'not so', 'not particularly', or 'not that much'.
This movie wasn't particularly interesting.
His explanation isn't that difficult.
This problem isn't that difficult.
That's not that big a problem.
He didn't worry about it that much.
あまり is the more common, everyday way to say 'not very' with a negative, while さほど sounds slightly more formal or literary.
たいして and さほど both pair with negatives to mean 'not particularly', but たいして is a bit more casual in speech.
The word is usually written in kana. The kanji forms 然程 and 左程 are rare.
Rare kanji form; learners should use the kana spelling.
Rare kanji form; learners should use the kana spelling.
Compound of 然 (sa, 'so') + 程 (hodo, 'degree'). The kanji 然 is rare, and the word is now typically written in kana.