Apathy — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

noun /ˈa-pə-thē/ ap·a·thy

Meaning & Definition of Apathy

Apathy (noun)

  1. lack of feeling or emotion, impassiveness
  2. lack of interest or concern, indifference

Apathy (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. a lack of emotion or emotional expressiveness

    "the apathy of the people of that war-torn country comes from their having seen too many horrors"

    similar: affectlessness, emotionlessness, impassiveness, impassivity, insensibility, numbness, phlegm
    related: bloodlessness, callosity, callousness, coldness, coolness, halfheartedness, hard-heartedness, hardness, heartlessness, imperturbability, insensitivity, obduracy, blankness, deadness, emptiness, vacancy, aloofness, detachment, indifference, unconcern, stiffness, woodenness
    opposite: emotion, feeling, sensibility
    near: compassion, empathy, pity, sympathy, receptiveness, receptivity, responsiveness, sensitivity, solicitude, tenderness, understanding, warmth, hand-wringing, histrionics, hysteria, hysterics, melodrama, vehemence

  2. lack of interest or concern

    "her poor grades are proof enough of her apathy concerning all matters academic"

    similar: casualness, complacence, disinterestedness, disregard, incuriosity, incuriousness, indifference, insouciance, nonchalance, torpor, unconcern
    related: halfheartedness, lukewarmness, tepidity, tepidness, carelessness, heedlessness, recklessness, unawareness, lethargy, listlessness, aloofness, coldness, cool, detachment, dispassion, callosity, callousness, hard-heartedness, hardness, insensitivity, bloodlessness, impassiveness, impassivity, phlegm, stoicism, stolidity
    opposite: concern, interest, regard
    near: attention, attentiveness, awareness, conscientiousness, curiosity, heedfulness, keenness, sensitivity, warmheartedness, bias, partiality, prejudice, ardor, desire, fervency, passion, vehemence, warmth, zeal

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Apathy

The most common words with a similar meaning to Apathy:

affectlessness, emotionlessness, impassiveness, impassivity, insensibility, numbness, phlegm, casualness, complacence, disinterestedness, disregard, incuriosity, incuriousness, indifference, insouciance, nonchalance, torpor, unconcern

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Apathy

Words with the opposite meaning of Apathy:

emotion, feeling, sensibility, concern, interest, regard

Related Words for Apathy

bloodlessness, callosity, callousness, coldness, coolness, halfheartedness, hard-heartedness, hardness, heartlessness, imperturbability, insensitivity, obduracy, blankness, deadness, emptiness, vacancy, aloofness, detachment, stiffness, woodenness, lukewarmness, tepidity, tepidness, carelessness, heedlessness, recklessness, unawareness, lethargy, listlessness, cool

Near Antonyms of Apathy

compassion, empathy, pity, sympathy, receptiveness, receptivity, responsiveness, sensitivity, solicitude, tenderness, understanding, warmth, hand-wringing, histrionics, hysteria, hysterics, melodrama, vehemence, attention, attentiveness, awareness, conscientiousness, curiosity, heedfulness, keenness, warmheartedness, bias, partiality, prejudice, ardor

Origin & Etymology of Apathy

borrowed from Middle French & Latin; Middle French apathie, borrowed from Latin apathīa, borrowed from Greek apatheîa, noun derivative of apathḗs "not suffering, without passion or feeling, impassive," from a- a-:2 + -pathēs, adjective derivative of páthos "experience, misfortune, emotion" pathos

First known use: 1594

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Apathy

Frequently Asked Questions about Apathy

What does "Apathy" mean?

"Apathy" means lack of feeling or emotion, impassiveness. As a noun, it is defined as: lack of feeling or emotion, impassiveness. It has 2 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Apathy"?

Other words for "Apathy" include affectlessness, emotionlessness, impassiveness, impassivity, insensibility, numbness, phlegm and casualness. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Apathy" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Apathy"?

There are 51 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Apathy". Common alternatives include affectlessness, emotionlessness, impassiveness, impassivity, insensibility, numbness, phlegm, casualness, complacence and disinterestedness.

What is the opposite of "Apathy"?

Antonyms of "Apathy" include emotion, feeling, sensibility, concern, interest and regard. Near antonyms include compassion, empathy, pity and sympathy.

How do you use "Apathy" in a sentence?

Examples of "Apathy" in a sentence: "the apathy of the people of that war-torn country comes from their having seen too many horrors"; "her poor grades are proof enough of her apathy concerning all matters academic".

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

"Apathy" is a noun.

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

As a C2-level word, "Apathy" 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 "Apathy"?

"Apathy" is pronounced /ˈa-pə-thē/ and divided into syllables as ap·a·thy.