antipathy

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noun an·tip·a·thy \ an-ˈti-pə-thē \

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

U.S. officials were cautious about Tillerson’s optimism, noting Ankara’s hardline antipathy for the Kurdish groups that Washington sees as key to destroying the Islamic State group.

— Washington Post, "Tillerson hopes to mend strained US-Turkey ties," 10 July 2017
But that rhetorical antipathy took a more ominous turn in recent weeks within the White House and the Capitol.

— david zurawik, baltimoresun.com, "Maybe it's time for press to push harder for transparency from Trump," 23 June 2017
More than half of the voters said Trump does not have the temperament to serve as president, but that number reflects strong Democratic antipathy to the president.

— ross ramsey, star-telegram.com, "Poll: Despite Russia inquiry, Texas GOP voters solidly trust Trump," 15 June 2017
On Wednesday, June 14, 2017, James T. Hodgkinson of Belleville, Ill. opened fire on Republican congressmen practicing baseball in suburban D.C. This intraparty antipathy is rising rapidly.

— christopher ingraham, chicagotribune.com, "Neighbor says he rarely talked to James Hodgkinson: 'He was a Democrat, and I was a Republican'," 15 June 2017
The media climate now, in both news and entertainment, is too often of a goading, insinuating resentment, a grinding, agitating antipathy.

— peggy noonan, WSJ, "Rage Is All the Rage, and It’s Dangerous," 15 June 2017
That antipathy gave way after Trump won the nomination and Rubio endorsed him for president.

— sahil kapur, Bloomberg.com, "Rubio Enlists Ivanka Trump to Promote Bigger Child Tax Credit," 13 June 2017
The irony of U.S. antipathy to funding climate projects overseas is that withdrawing from those efforts hurts Americans.

— christopher flavelle, Bloomberg.com, "Your Country Is Flooding? Tough Luck," 8 June 2017
Donald J. Trump won, and his interest in defending the executive branch against the House lawsuit was nonexistent given his antipathy for the health care law.

— carl hulse, New York Times, "Obama Unwittingly Handed Trump a Weapon to Cripple the Health Law," 3 June 2017

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

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First Known Use: 1592

See Words from the same year

antipathy Synonyms

Synonyms

animosity, animus, antagonism, enmity, bad blood, bitterness, gall, grudge, hostility, jaundice, rancor

Antonyms

amity

Related Words

blood feud, feud, score, vendetta; hate, hatred, loathing; vindictiveness, virulence, vitriol; alienation, disaffection, estrangement; conflict, coolness, discord, friction, strain, tension; inhospitableness, unfriendliness; malice, malignancy, malignity, spite, spitefulness, venom

Near Antonyms

amiability, amicability, civility, cordiality, friendliness, hospitality, neighborliness; comity, empathy, friendship, goodwill, sympathy, understanding

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.