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

Most of the individuals have turned their backs to someone, the bright afternoon sunshine no match for the icy atmosphere of entrenched and habitual antipathy. — David Pagel, Los Angeles Times, "Review: Forget sexy. Eric Fischl paints the dark dramas amid all that skin," 16 July 2019 Players like John McEnroe and Jimmy Connors spent their entire careers projecting a sense of antipathy toward both older and younger rivals. — Kevin Craft, The Atlantic, "What the Men Can Learn From the Women at Wimbledon," 2 July 2019 This week, the central government and its allies in Hong Kong downplayed the possibility that a genuine antipathy toward Beijing was on display on the city's broiling streets. — Washington Post, "What China struggles more than ever to get from Hong Kong: Loyalty and love," 17 June 2019 The policy itself wasn’t a radical departure from Trump’s long-running antipathy toward Muslims. — Matt Ford, The New Republic, "Should Trump’s Bigotry Disqualify His Travel Ban?," 25 Apr. 2018 So Merkel’s own antipathy apparently reflects broad support at home (of course, now conveniently different after the 1989 collapse of the Berlin Wall and the end of the Soviet threat). — Victor Davis Hanson, National Review, "Is Germany Becoming Germany — Again?," 4 June 2019 But even if Garcia could get over his antipathy toward Top Rank boss Bob Arum — his former promoter and Lomachenko’s current promoter — Lomachenko and Garcia probably can’t find a common weight. — Greg Beacham, The Seattle Times, "Lomachenko goes Hollywood for title clash with Crolla," 11 Apr. 2019 Meanwhile, stewing in antipathy, resentment, and self-pity, Remainers plot to rejoin. — Lionel Shriver, Harper's magazine, "No Exit," 10 Apr. 2019 His antipathy toward women, and the #MeToo movement, is sickening. — Robin Abcarian, latimes.com, "For Trump, #MeToo is #SoWhat? Yet again, his attitude and hires show deep antipathy toward women," 10 July 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.