apathetic

adjective

ap·a·thet·ic | \ ˌa-pə-ˈthe-tik

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

Other Words from apathetic Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym Discover if You're Apathetic More Example Sentences Learn More about apathetic

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Choose the Right Synonym for apathetic

impassive, stoic, phlegmatic, apathetic, stolid mean unresponsive to something that might normally excite interest or emotion. impassive stresses the absence of any external sign of emotion in action or facial expression. met the news with an impassive look stoic implies an apparent indifference to pleasure or especially to pain often as a matter of principle or self-discipline. was resolutely stoic even in adversity phlegmatic implies a temperament or constitution hard to arouse. a phlegmatic man unmoved by tears apathetic may imply a puzzling or deplorable indifference or inertness. charitable appeals met an apathetic response stolid implies a habitual absence of interest, responsiveness, or curiosity. stolid workers wedded to routine

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".

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 on the Web

Others argue that forcing apathetic or uneducated citizens to vote steers the nation’s political destiny toward populism. — Tacey Rychter, The Seattle Times, "Australia tells America: Here’s how to fix your voting system," 22 Oct. 2018 The team’s recent victories have gained it a whole new group of fans, pulling in the previously apathetic and the occasional followers. — Theresa Vargas, Washington Post, "I wanted to be in on #ALLCAPS mania, but I needed a fan’s help," 7 June 2018 With only one or two largely apathetic ISPs to choose from, high prices, slow speeds, limited deployment, and customer service headaches are the norm. — Karl Bode, The Verge, "How bad maps are ruining American broadband," 24 Sep. 2018 If his tariffs—and retaliation—damage local economies, the GOP could find its blue-collar base in a surly mood or apathetic about voting. — Bob Davis, WSJ, "America’s Factory Towns, Once Solidly Blue, Are Now a GOP Haven," 19 July 2018 The Pelicans at times appeared apathetic but shouldn't have been fatigued. — USA TODAY, "Embiid, Saric lead Sixers to easy win over Pelicans," 9 Feb. 2018 Drawing congressional districts to favor one party over the other – known as gerrymandering – has led to uncompetitive races that leave voters feeling apathetic or disenfranchised. — Jessie Balmert, Cincinnati.com, "Everyone complains about congressional gerrymandering. Ohio just did something about it.," 6 Feb. 2018 These things do not help, but the uncomfortable truth is that in low-turnout electoral politics, a smaller, cohesive, motivated group can go on outvoting a larger, disparate, apathetic group for a long time. — The Economist, "Demography is not destinyBuilding a multiracial coalition is more difficult than it seems," 12 July 2018 As soon as his set began, BØRNS appeared glamorously apathetic. — Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Best and worst of Summerfest Day 9: Janelle Monáe, Flaming Lips, BØRNS, Judah & the Lion and more," 7 July 2018

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.