apathetic

adjective

ap·​a·​thet·​ic ˌa-pə-ˈthe-tik 

: affected by, characterized by, or displaying apathy : having or showing little or no interest, concern, or emotion

apathetic voters

apathetic indifference

an apathetic attitude/response

It's really easy to feel apathetic about politics and forget how much they affect our daily lives.

—Emily Shwake

NFL fans and media members are mostly apathetic toward the exhibition games.

—Henry McKenna

Even with Doppler radar and networks of spotters, many residents of Tornado Alley are surprisingly apathetic.

—Warren Faidley

She was listless, apathetic, calm with the calmness of a woman who knows she can suffer no further.

—Frank Norris

Children or teens who are … depressed and apathetic …

—Victoria L. Dunckley

People with abnormally low levels of thyroid hormones (hypothyroidism) are often listless and apathetic; in fact, the symptoms may look very much like endogenous depression.

—Lester Grinspoon et al.

… there is no emotion and she remains apathetic to all around her.

—leitrimobserver.ie

apathetically

ˌa-pə-ˈthe-ti-k(ə-)lē 

adverb

Did you know?

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".

Synonyms

• nonchalant
• casual
• uninterested

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

Examples of apathetic in a Sentence

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

But with an apathetic fan base, securing donations for a capital project was a non-starter, especially when name, image and likeness funding is paramount toward recruiting and retaining quality athletes. —Scott Dochterman, New York Times, 26 Mar. 2025

Polls have shown that many Mexicans are both skeptical and apathetic— and have no idea whom to favor among the vast array of mostly unknown contenders, some with links to organized crime. —Patrick J. McDonnell, Los Angeles Times, 31 May 2025

Basic but brilliantly unique – and set for a Premier League farewell The Athletic went behind the scenes as Goodison Park prepares to host its final Premier League game Others are apathetic. —Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 20 May 2025

When employees feel apathetic, their productivity, enthusiasm and curiosity wane. —Shannon Gabriel, Forbes.com, 3 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from New Latin apathēticus, from a- a- entry 2 + pathēticus pathetic, after apathīa apathy

First Known Use

1692, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for apathetic

• alphabetic
• anaesthetic
• anesthetic
• antithetic
• arithmetic
• cybernetic
• diabetic
• dietetic
• diuretic
• empathetic
• energetic
• geodetic

Kids Definition

apathetic

adjective

ap·​a·​thet·​ic ˌap-ə-ˈthet-ik 

: having or showing little or no feeling or interest

apathetically

-ˈthet-i-k(ə-)lē 

adverb

Medical Definition

apathetic

adjective

ap·​a·​thet·​ic ˌap-ə-ˈthet-ik 

: having or showing little or no feeling or emotion

apathetically

-i-k(ə-)lē 

adverb