Definition of apathetic
1 : having or showing little or no feeling or emotion : spiritless She was listless, apathetic, calm with the calmness of a woman who knows she can suffer no further. — Frank Norris
2 : having little or no interest or concern : indifferent apathetic voters apathetic underachievers
From the M-W Editors
Examples of apathetic in a Sentence
But contrary to popular belief, not all jocks are as apathetic as they are athletic. One such progressive player is Toni Smith, a college basketball player who turned her back on Old Glory every time the national anthem was played before her games last season. In a written statement, she cited America's systemic inequalities as her reason for not saluting the flag. —Complex, June/July 2003
The disorder is sometimes inherited via a defective gene from one parent, and patients are usually spared signs of the disorder until they reach their fifties. Because the brain-cell loss occurs in parts of the brain that help regulate social behavior, personality changes are the most common manifestations of the illness. Patients tend to become either uninhibited or apathetic. —Bruce L. Miller, Discover, January 1998
But in cities such as Boston, Cincinnati, Oakland, San Francisco, and Seattle, reformers are trying to recharge an apathetic electorate by taking aim at the very process of voting itself. —Wilma Rule et al., Ms., September/October 1996
Young people are becoming increasingly apathetic.
the apathetic attitude of the public
Surprisingly, most Americans are apathetic toward this important issue.
Recent Examples of apathetic from the Web
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Americans are notoriously apathetic about climate change.
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But eventually a dark depression steals in, consuming joy, leaving me feeling apathetic, limp, hopeless.
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But the authorities are concerned, analysts say, that widespread anger over the demolitions project is radicalizing large numbers of previously politically apathetic Russians.
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America’s college freshmen have grown more politically apathetic than ever, according to the University of California in Los Angeles’ latest nationwide survey of campus newbies.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'apathetic'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Discover If You're Apathetic
Apathy, or lack of emotion, is central to Albert Camus's famous novel The Stranger, in which the main character's indifference toward almost everything, including his mother's death, results in his imprisonment. We feel little sympathy for him, and may even feel antipathy, or dislike. The American voter is often called apathetic; of all the industrial democracies, only in America does half the adult population fail to vote in major elections. As you can see, apathetic isn't the opposite of pathetic, even though the a- that it begins with means "not" or "without".
Origin and Etymology of apathetic
see apathy
First Known Use: 1744
Synonym Discussion of apathetic
Other Psychology Terms
APATHETIC Defined for English Language Learners
apathetic
playDefinition of apathetic for English Language Learners
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: not having or showing much emotion or interest
Medical Dictionary
Learn More about apathetic
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See words that rhyme with apathetic Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for apathetic Spanish Central: Translation of apathetic Nglish: Translation of apathetic for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of apathetic for Arabic speakers
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