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> それほど面白くなかった。  
>  It wasn't that interesting (given translation)

The given translation, without further context, just means "it wasn't
very/particularly interesting". However, I understood それほど to reference
something in context e.g. if I tell you I went rock climbing this weekend and
then ask what you did, you might respond with それほど面白くなかった. So a better
translation would be "It wasn't as interesting as that".

So, can それほど have both of these meanings or is the given translation a bit
misleading? Can it be replaced with あまり面白くなかった?
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2021-05-07T16:53:13.613
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2021-05-07T17:28:20.270
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question
grammar particle-ほど
Does それほど need to refer to something?
The given translation seems perfect. That それ doesn't reference anything in
particular, just like that _that_ doesn't.

In most cases, それほど in a negative sentence should be understood as an
adverbial expression as a whole whose function is to lessen a degree, just
like そんなに. Replacing it with あまり would cause as little difference in nuance as
replacing _that_ with _very_.

それほど sounds slightly more formal than そんなに but not so much as さほど.

I wouldn't respond with それほど面白くなかった in your rock climbing scenario. It doesn't
sound natural at all.

> 週末ロッククライミングしたよ。君は？  
>  (*) それほど面白くなかった。

First of all, it doesn't answer the question, which asks what the second
person did on the weekend. This problem has nothing to do with それほど. The
problem with それほど is precisely that それ would not be understood as referencing
rock climbing or how interesting it was.

The following conversation solves the first problem and that in turn somewhat
lessens the degree of the second, but the meaning of the response is ambiguous
and it still sounds unnatural.

> 週末ロッククライミングしたよ。君は？  
>  それほど面白いことはしなかった。

The following is better although some ambiguity still remains. そんな面白いこと would
most likely be understood as referring to rock climbing.

> 週末ロッククライミングしたよ。君は？  
>  そんな面白いことはしなかった。

それほど in an affirmative sentence can be replaced with それぐらい. The referencing
nature of それ is retained, but it usually refers to a degree that is mentioned
or indicated earlier, rather than a concrete thing.

For example, それ in the second sentence below refers to what was stated in the
first sentence: This book is so interesting that I have read it many times.

> この本は何回も読んだ。この本はそれほど面白い。  
>  I have read this book many times. It is so interesting.

If I want to reference something concrete with それ in a sentence that states
its degree in some quality is similar to something else, I would more likely
say それと同じぐらい as in the following example.

> 先月面白い本を読んだ。この本はそれと同じぐらい面白い。  
>  I read an interesting book last month. This book is as interesting as that
> one.

* * *

[EDIT] Added examples at the end and rephrased the explanation about それと同じぐらい.
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answer