antipathy

noun an·tip·a·thy \ an-ˈti-pə-thē \

Updated on: 14 Apr 2018

Definition of antipathy

plural antipathies

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

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Recent Examples of antipathy from the Web

Many right-wing parties in Eastern Europe have been buoyed by their opposition to Muslim immigration, and the early sparks of white nationalism were defined by an antipathy toward Islam, scholars say.

— sara miller llana, The Christian Science Monitor, "An old beast re-awoken, anti-Semitism stalks Europe, US once more," 11 Apr. 2018
But this one comes on a project to which the Trump administration has shown antipathy.

— paul berger, WSJ, "Hudson Rail Tunnel Project Misses Goal on Environmental Review," 4 Apr. 2018
According to New York Magazine, Trump’s antipathy towards Amazon has less to do with a desire to prop up failing retailers and more to do with his vendetta against Bezos’ Washington Post and its bruising coverage of Trump’s campaign.

— chris stirewalt, Fox News, "Welcome to the jungle, Amazon," 28 Mar. 2018
The antipathy to horsemeat is fast vanishing, says Jim Augustine, the East Bay’s one and only mustang meat jobber.

— johnny miller, San Francisco Chronicle, "Steve McQueen in S.F. to film ‘Bullitt’," 21 Mar. 2018
Her skepticism toward economic justice is joined by an antipathy toward identity politics.

— jennifer szalai, New York Times, "American Blindness, Abroad and at Home," 21 Feb. 2018
Yet she and her husband, Richard Harris, were heavily motivated by antipathy toward the president.

— jonathan tamari, Philly.com, "In western Pa. special election, Dem Conor Lamb aims to shock Trump country," 9 Mar. 2018
But Trump never renounced his antipathy to free trade.

— joshua green, Bloomberg.com, "Cohn Is Out, and the Verdict Is In: The Nationalists Are Back," 8 Mar. 2018
Starting in the campaign there was Trump’s otherwise odd antipathy to NATO, in particular Article 5, which commits the treaty members to come to each others’ assistance if subjected to outside attack.

— elizabeth drew, The New Republic, "Donald Trump Is a Walking Maelstrom," 8 Mar. 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.

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.

Origin and Etymology of antipathy

Latin antipathia, from Greek antipatheia, from antipathēs of opposite feelings, from anti- + pathos experience — more at pathos

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1592

in the meaning defined at sense 3

See Words from the same year

antipathy Synonyms

Synonym Discussion of 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.