1
as in numbness
a lack of emotion or emotional expressiveness
the apathy of the people of that war-torn country comes from their having seen too many horrors
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in disregard
lack of interest or concern
her poor grades are proof enough of her apathy concerning all matters academic
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of apathy
There was a pervasive sense of cultural apathy regarding the study of the past that was growing stronger by the minute, as if the world had already accrued the maximum knowledge of prior civilizations and required nothing further in order to barrel onward into the future.
—
Literary Hub, 1 Apr. 2026
What everyone should truly fear here is the curse of apathy and dysfunctional authority systems.
—Sergio Pereira, Space.com, 30 Mar. 2026
The lack of a clear frontrunner reflects broader candidate disengagement and voter apathy rather than healthy political competition, with only four of eight Democratic candidates even appearing at a major housing panel just weeks before the primary.
—Los Angeles Times, 25 Mar. 2026
Only with the failure of the expedition of the Bandiera brothers to Calabria in 1844 was the bankruptcy of this method in the face of popular apathy at last fully realized.
—Britannica Editors, Encyclopedia Britannica, 12 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for apathy
Literary Hub, 1 Apr. 2026
What everyone should truly fear here is the curse of apathy and dysfunctional authority systems.
—Sergio Pereira, Space.com, 30 Mar. 2026
The lack of a clear frontrunner reflects broader candidate disengagement and voter apathy rather than healthy political competition, with only four of eight Democratic candidates even appearing at a major housing panel just weeks before the primary.
—Los Angeles Times, 25 Mar. 2026
Only with the failure of the expedition of the Bandiera brothers to Calabria in 1844 was the bankruptcy of this method in the face of popular apathy at last fully realized.
—Britannica Editors, Encyclopedia Britannica, 12 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for apathy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for apathy
Noun
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Signs of a stroke can be identified by sudden numbness or weakness in the face, arm, or leg; sudden confusion, trouble speaking, or difficulty understanding speech; issues with eyesight; loss of balance, dizziness, and difficulty walking; and severe headache with no identifiable cause.—
KiMi Robinson,
USA Today,
14 Apr. 2026
-
In sticking through these 30 minutes, numbness begins to feel aspirational.—
Joshua Minsoo Kim,
Pitchfork,
13 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Additional charges included negligently driving a vehicle in a careless and imprudent manner, endangering property, life, and person, as well as recklessly driving a vehicle in wanton and willful disregard for the safety of persons and property.—
Diane J. Cho,
PEOPLE,
16 Apr. 2026
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The judge said Johnson knowingly left her children in unsafe conditions and accused her of showing disregard for their basic needs.—
Hannah McIlree,
CBS News,
14 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The agency said the company also failed to maintain required safety information for its hazardous equipment and demonstrated plain indifference to employee safety.—
Nicole Valdes,
CBS News,
16 Apr. 2026
-
The doctor delivers this news with the signature indifference of a gynecologist.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
16 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Inner emptiness has always been a fixation of Ye.—
Kieran Press-Reynolds,
Pitchfork,
1 Apr. 2026
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While fans would have surely loved to get any of these songs over the past five years in lieu of the chaos of 2020s-era Ye, there’s still an emptiness at the heart of Bully.—
Jeff Ihaza,
Rolling Stone,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
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And if salt and water start to move, so, too, does the phlegm that has been sitting dehydrated in the lungs of CF patients.—
Courtney Crowder,
USA Today,
10 Apr. 2026
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Smelling of rotting grapes, the phlegm is musty and acetone-tinged, like a decanter of red wine forgotten in a dark kitchen corner after a dinner party, left to turn into vinegar.—
Courtney Crowder,
Des Moines Register,
15 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Apathy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/apathy. Accessed 21 Apr. 2026.
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