Apathetic — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective /ˌa-pə-ˈthe-tik/ ap·a·thet·ic

Meaning & Definition of Apathetic

Apathetic (adjective)

  1. affected by, characterized by, or displaying apathy, having or showing little or no interest, concern, or emotion

Apathetic (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. having or showing a lack of interest or concern

    "people of conscience cannot be apathetic about the great suffering in this world"

    similar: casual, complacent, disinterested, incurious, indifferent, insensible, insouciant, nonchalant, perfunctory, pococurante, unconcerned, uncurious, uninterested
    related: halfhearted, lukewarm, tepid, aloof, cold, numb, remote, unemotional, callous, hard-hearted, insensitive, unfeeling, calm, cool, detached, dispassionate, careless, heedless, mindless, impassive, impervious, phlegmatic, stoic, stolid, lethargic, listless, unimpressed
    opposite: concerned, interested
    near: attentive, aware, conscientious, heedful, mindful, caring, sensitive, warmhearted, ardent, fervent, keen, passionate, warm, zealous

  2. not feeling or showing emotion

    "gave nothing more than an apathetic gaze to his interrogators"

    similar: affectless, cold-blooded, emotionless, impassible, impassive, numb, passionless, phlegmatic, stoic, stolid, undemonstrative, unemotional
    related: cold, cool, dispassionate, unmoved, calm, collected, composed, imperturbable, unflappable, reserved, reticent, taciturn, bland, blank, deadpan, dry, empty, expressionless, inexpressive, stone-faced, straight-faced, vacant, wooden, enigmatic, impenetrable, inscrutable, aloof, bloodless, detached, indifferent, insensible, unconcerned, unsentimental, impersonal, objective, unresponsive, hard-hearted, pitiless, unfeeling, inconsiderate, thoughtless
    opposite: demonstrative, emotional, fervent, fervid, hot-blooded, impassioned, passional, passionate, vehement
    near: blazing, burning, fiery, flaming, glowing, red-hot, ardent, enthusiastic, gung ho, warm-blooded, zealous, gushing, maudlin, mawkish, mushy, sentimental, dramatic, histrionic, melodramatic, overemotional, overheated, perfervid, compassionate, responsive, sympathetic, reactive, sensitive

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Apathetic

The most common words with a similar meaning to Apathetic:

casual, complacent, disinterested, incurious, indifferent, insensible, insouciant, nonchalant, perfunctory, pococurante, unconcerned, uncurious, uninterested, affectless, cold-blooded, emotionless, impassible, impassive, numb, passionless, phlegmatic, stoic, stolid, undemonstrative, unemotional

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Apathetic

Words with the opposite meaning of Apathetic:

concerned, interested, demonstrative, emotional, fervent, fervid, hot-blooded, impassioned, passional, passionate, vehement

Related Words for Apathetic

halfhearted, lukewarm, tepid, aloof, cold, remote, callous, hard-hearted, insensitive, unfeeling, calm, cool, detached, dispassionate, careless, heedless, mindless, impervious, lethargic, listless, unimpressed, unmoved, collected, composed, imperturbable, unflappable, reserved, reticent, taciturn, bland

Near Antonyms of Apathetic

attentive, aware, conscientious, heedful, mindful, caring, sensitive, warmhearted, ardent, keen, warm, zealous, blazing, burning, fiery, flaming, glowing, red-hot, enthusiastic, gung ho, warm-blooded, gushing, maudlin, mawkish, mushy, sentimental, dramatic, histrionic, melodramatic, overemotional

Word Forms of Apathetic

Derived words: apathetically (adverb)

Origin & Etymology of Apathetic

borrowed from New Latin apathēticus, from a- a-:2 + pathēticus pathetic, after apathīa apathy

First known use: 1692

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Apathetic

Frequently Asked Questions about Apathetic

What does "Apathetic" mean?

"Apathetic" means affected by, characterized by, or displaying apathy, having or showing little or no interest, concern, or emotion. As an adjective, it is defined as: affected by, characterized by, or displaying apathy, having or showing little or no interest, concern, or emotion. It has 2 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Apathetic"?

Other words for "Apathetic" include casual, complacent, disinterested, incurious, indifferent, insensible, insouciant and nonchalant. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Apathetic" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Apathetic"?

There are 76 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Apathetic". Common alternatives include casual, complacent, disinterested, incurious, indifferent, insensible, insouciant, nonchalant, perfunctory and pococurante.

What is the opposite of "Apathetic"?

Antonyms of "Apathetic" include concerned, interested, demonstrative, emotional, fervent, fervid, hot-blooded and impassioned. Near antonyms include attentive, aware, conscientious and heedful.

How do you use "Apathetic" in a sentence?

Examples of "Apathetic" in a sentence: "people of conscience cannot be apathetic about the great suffering in this world"; "gave nothing more than an apathetic gaze to his interrogators".

Is "Apathetic" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Apathetic" is an adjective.

Is "Apathetic" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As a C2-level word, "Apathetic" is typical of Cambridge C2 Proficiency (CPE), IELTS band 8.5–9.0, TOEFL iBT 114–120, PTE Academic 85–90. Advanced words like this are also useful for the GRE, SAT, GMAT, and LSAT.

How do you pronounce "Apathetic"?

"Apathetic" is pronounced /ˌa-pə-ˈthe-tik/ and divided into syllables as ap·a·thet·ic.