apathy

noun

ˈa-pə-thē How to pronounce apathy (audio)
Definition of apathynext
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

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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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of apathy Meanwhile, the 57-year-old has not hidden his apathy for Hollywood. — Daysia Tolentino, Entertainment Weekly, 23 Sep. 2026 The reduction ranged from 16% in the region tied to planning (dorsal putamen) to 20% in the region most closely tied to motivation and apathy (ventral striatum). — Catherina Gioino, Fortune, 14 Sep. 2026 Lazy is a character judgment requiring atonement, while apathy is a syndrome requiring treatment. — Michael P.h. Stanley, STAT, 10 Sep. 2026 And yet the core lesson of illness is the opposite of apathy. — Elizabeth Nicholas, Vanity Fair, 9 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for apathy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for apathy
  1. numbness
  2. disregard
  3. emptiness
  4. indifference
  5. insensibility
  6. phlegm
Noun
  • And if your neck pain keeps returning, gets worse or comes with numbness, tingling or weakness, talk with a healthcare professional instead of relying on a massager alone.
    — Ryan Brennan, Miami Herald, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Fair Ones is set in the aftermath of their longtime friend Claire’s death, as Mara and Jen, two Brooklyn women in their forties, are off kilter, cycling through shock, numbness, denial, distraction, anger, isolation, regret, depression.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of numbness
Noun
  • Any choice for or against the work, including the choice of no-choice—of indifference or disregard—confronts the question of authenticity.
    — Jeffrey Weiss, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Someone with the same disregard for convention as my mother, but one who’d channeled that subversiveness into something successful?
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of disregard
Noun
  • Occasional moments of real, spontaneous joy emerge, and others reveal the crushing emptiness of lives going nowhere, but the script doesn’t lean too hard in either direction.
    — Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 9 Oct. 2026
  • In all of the sketchbook entries reproduced here, Ross seems to offer a bridge between the representation of emptiness and the lived sensation of it.
    — Ryan Sullivan, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of emptiness
Noun
  • The defendant showed a shocking indifference to the lives of her victims and is now facing significant consequences for her conduct.
    — Elijah Westbrook, CBS News, 6 Oct. 2026
  • And paradoxically, that indifference is what ultimately makes the city so deeply emotional.
    — Roberto Prieto, Variety, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of indifference
Noun
  • The famous Lord Chesterfield[5] counselled his son that he should never be seen to laugh; and that gravity with real or apparent insensibility is a universal characteristic of the savage.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 1 July 2026
Definition of insensibility
Noun
  • Symptoms can include shortness of breath and coughing or blood in the phlegm.
    — Erika Edwards, NBC news, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Any confusion, difficulty walking, shortness of breath or coughing up significant phlegm should prompt an immediate descent.
    — Elaine Reno, The Conversation, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of phlegm

Browse Nearby Words

apathetically
apathy
ape
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Cite this Entry

“Apathy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/apathy. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on apathy

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about apathy

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