apathetic

[ ap-uh-thet-ik ]

adjective

1. having or showing little or no emotion:

   apathetic behavior.

   Synonyms: cool, impassive, unfeeling

   Antonyms: emotional

2. not interested or concerned; indifferent or unresponsive:

   an apathetic audience.

   Synonyms: unconcerned, uninterested

   Antonyms: concerned

apathetic

/ ˌæpəˈθɛtɪk /

adjective

1. having or showing little or no emotion; indifferent

Derived Forms

• ˌapaˈthetically, adverb

Other Words From

• apa·theti·cal·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of apathetic¹

First recorded in 1735–45; apath(y) + (path)etic

Word History and Origins

Origin of apathetic¹

C18: from apathy + pathetic

Example Sentences

Political broken hearts — unfulfilled promises on immigration reform, schools that continue to fail, worsening housing inequities — are why Latinos are so apathetic about elections, I argued.

From Los Angeles Times

Saied's consolidation of power has led to an apathetic mood ahead of the elections.

From BBC

Biden’s decision to withdraw fundamentally reshapes the 2024 campaign for both Democrats and Republicans, and could provide a welcome boost for Democrats who’ve faced flagging support from a relatively apathetic electorate.

From Los Angeles Times

Survivors have lived under surveillance for years, and many now feel that members of the rising generation have grown too fearful and apathetic toward speaking up for their rights.

From Seattle Times

"You become a bit apathetic to it all. You just think, 'OK, another bill'. You used to get emotional but now the emotion's out of it," said the 39-year-old.

From BBC

Related Words

• callous
• indifferent
• laid-back
• passive
• stoic
• uninterested

More About Apathetic

What does apathetic mean?

Apathetic means uncaring.

It’s an adjective form of apathy—the state of not caring. It can also mean the absence or suppression of emotion or passion.

Apathetic is especially used to describe people with a lack of interest or concern about things, especially those that others find important or exciting.

Apathetic often means about the same thing as indifferent, but it’s more often used in the context of someone’s lack of action when action is needed.

The word apathetic is typically used in a negative way to criticize someone as being irresponsible or insensitive. When someone is accused of being apathetic, it usually means the person making the accusation thinks the apathetic person should care more—or at all.

Example: Your generation is astoundingly apathetic—it’s like none of you care about any of the big problems in the world!

Where does apathetic come from?

The first records of the word apathetic come from around 1740. Its base word, apathy, comes from the Greek apathḗs, meaning “unfeeling,” from a-, “a lack of,” and pathos, “feeling.” The same root forms the basis of words such as empathy and sympathy, and apathetic is made into an adjective in the same way as empathetic, sympathetic, and pathetic.

Describing someone as apathetic doesn’t necessarily mean they feel nothing. But it’s most commonly used to describe someone who doesn’t care enough to do something, especially in a situation that calls for action. In this way, people considered apathetic are often to have an intentionally indifferent attitude that they’ve adopted in order to avoid dealing with problems, taking on challenges, or getting involved with difficult situations.

Did you know ... ?

What are some other forms related to apathetic?

• apathetically (adverb)
• apathy (noun)

What are some synonyms for apathetic?

• indifferent
• uncaring
• detached

What are some words that share a root or word element with apathetic? 

• empathetic
• sympathetic
• pathetic

What are some words that often get used in discussing apathetic?

• emotion
• lack
• interest
• concern
• action
• lazy

How is apathetic used in real life?

The word apathetic is usually used in a way that’s critical of the people it’s used to describe—even when people apply it to themselves.

being too passionate, being entirely apathetic – I'm just praying for a balance, a happy median, a sweet spot

— Cyn (@cynthialovely) June 6, 2017

I suspect that's how it starts. Someone does wrong, feels bad about it, doesn't make changes to fix the situation, then grows tired of feeling bad. They become apathetic toward their own feelings of wrong. And one day, they just smother the spark and go "So what?"

— an arch on (@anarchonbury) September 3, 2020

#WritingCommunity, do y’all go thru periods where you’re just completely apathetic about writing? I haven’t been able to get anything significant done on either WIP in like 2 wks. All I feel like doing is reading scripts and watching shows, am I a lazy lump or is this normal?

— Taylor Coriell (@frecklysoprano1) August 31, 2020

 

 

Try using apathetic!

Which of the following words is NOT a synonym of apathetic?

A. indifferent
B. involved
C. unconcerned
D. detached