antipathy

noun

an·tip·a·thy | \ an-ˈti-pə-thē

plural antipathies

Definition of antipathy

1 : a strong feeling of dislike an antipathy to taxes a deep antipathy between the groups

2 : something disliked : an object of aversion … perhaps his greatest antipathies were cabs, old women, doors that would not shut …— Charles Dickens

3 obsolete : opposition in feeling

Other Words from antipathy Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym Did You Know? More Example Sentences Learn More about antipathy

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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

That antipathy has inevitably become more nuanced, or at least subdivided, as tech ranks fill up with many in this same cohort. — Holman W. Jenkins, WSJ, "Google Confronts Its Bolsheviks," 13 Nov. 2018 In recent days, the clique has been exchanging bitter e-mails that lay bare the anger over Dershowitz’s seeming support for the president, which is a no-no on the Vineyard, a liberal enclave that has great antipathy for Trump. — Mark Shanahan, BostonGlobe.com, "The Martha’s Vineyard crowd strikes back at Alan Dershowitz," 4 July 2018 Exploiting and deepening these antipathies for the sake of narrow aims like losing or gaining a few more seats in these, our 57th midterm elections, leaves us less able to come together to deal with the things that matter. — Chris Stirewalt, Fox News, "Like Bush and Obama, Trump gets stuck on immigration," 21 June 2018 So did Arizona, a state notorious for the ruling Anglo political elite’s antipathy to Hispanics. — Jon Talton, The Seattle Times, "In America’s ‘geography of despair,’ how to help the left-behind places?," 21 Nov. 2018 Most media coverage of the president gives the impression that black antipathy is universal, but that’s a left-wing fantasy. — Jason L. Riley, WSJ, "Among Black Voters, Trump’s Popularity Inches Upward," 6 Nov. 2018 For years, these platforms captured Mr. Sayoc’s attention with a steady flow of outrage and hyperpartisan clickbait and gave him a public venue to declare his allegiance to Mr. Trump and his antipathy for the president’s enemies. — Casey Newton, The Verge, "Why social media is friend to far-right politicians around the world," 30 Oct. 2018 For some people, the antipathy is explicitly racial. — New York Times, "In U.S. and Europe, Migration Conflict Points to Deeper Political Problems," 29 June 2018 What, then, accounts for the antipathy towards gentrification? — The Economist, "In praise of gentrification," 21 June 2018

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.