Definition of ANTIPATHY

Choose the Right Synonym for antipathy

enmity, hostility, antipathy, antagonism, animosity, rancor, animus mean deep-seated dislike or ill will. enmity suggests positive hatred which may be open or concealed. an unspoken enmity hostility suggests an enmity showing itself in attacks or aggression. hostility between the two nations antipathy and antagonism imply a natural or logical basis for one's hatred or dislike, antipathy suggesting repugnance, a desire to avoid or reject, and antagonism suggesting a clash of temperaments leading readily to hostility. a natural antipathy for self-seekers antagonism between the brothers animosity suggests intense ill will and vindictiveness that threaten to kindle hostility. animosity that led to revenge rancor is especially applied to bitter brooding over a wrong. rancor filled every line of his letters animus adds to animosity the implication of strong prejudice. objections devoid of personal animus

Did You Know?

When the nation of Yugoslavia was created in 1945, it combined a number of ethnic groups with a history of violent antipathy toward each other. In 1991–92 four regions of the country announced that they would become independent nations; a bloody six-year war followed, fueled by these ancient and powerful antipathies. The American Civil War similarly resulted from antipathy between the North and the South. But in the U.S.'s relations with its next-door neighbors, it's been a long time since emotions have gotten much stronger than annoyance.

Examples of antipathy in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Such resentments are infused with racial antipathies since poor, black, and brown are synonymous to many Americans. — Maria Kefalas, STAT, "Medicaid covers sick or dying children. But it takes ‘going to battle’ to get it," 2 Dec. 2019 And this could translate into more antipathy toward the out-group and its leader. — Wired, "Empathy Is Tearing Us Apart," 9 Nov. 2019 This primeval realm is populated by a group of outcasts, led by a warrior, Conall (Chiwetel Ejiofor), sympathetic to the newcomer's antipathy for the nasty queen. — Todd Mccarthy, The Hollywood Reporter, "'Maleficent: Mistress of Evil': Film Review," 15 Oct. 2019 Indeed, reports of antipathy from the traditional film community toward Netflix, due to its disruption of business and blurring of the line between feature and TV, aren’t exactly few and far between. — David Canfield, EW.com, "Why Netflix could run the table at next year's Oscars," 3 Oct. 2019 Democrats and Republicans alike have expressed plenty of antipathy against the drug industry over its pricing practices. — Sy Mukherjee, Fortune, "About Congress’ New Drug Pricing Legislation: Brainstorm Health," 19 Sep. 2019 Democrats picked up 15 seats in the state House in 2017, riding a wave of antipathy toward President Trump. — Laura Vozzella, Washington Post, "PAC gives $500K to Democrats running for Virginia House," 10 Sep. 2019 In 1986, antipathy towards the pyramid and other new skyscrapers led San Francisco voters to approve Proposition M, which restricts the amount of office space the city can approved each year. — Roland Li, SFChronicle.com, "Transamerica Pyramid, once-despised landmark that became SF symbol, for sale," 16 Aug. 2019 Influential observers believe that Johnson’s fabrications and exaggerations about European Union regulations helped shape populist antipathy to what many Britons perceived of as an overbearing, rigid EU. — Luke Reader, The Conversation, "Is Boris Johnson, Britain’s new prime minister, anti-immigrant, a homophobe, a bigot – or just politically expedient?," 24 July 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'antipathy.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

7 Dec 2019

Cite this Entry

“Antipathy.” The Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster Inc., https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/antipathy. Accessed 14 December 2019.