apathetic

Also ap·a·thet·i·cal

[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

Other Word Forms

• apathetically 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

The cherry on top is their true apathetic evil.

From Los Angeles Times

But if they reach 30 to 40 percent, their dogmatic persistence may successfully overcome the majority, many of whom are timid or apathetic, and set the political tone for a society.

From Salon

Polls have shown that many Mexicans are both skeptical and apathetic— and have no idea whom to favor among the vast array of mostly unknown contenders, some with links to organized crime.

From Los Angeles Times

The display was all the more remarkable given how recently many in tech were politically naive or apathetic.

From Los Angeles Times

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

Related Words

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

When To Use

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!