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Antipathy vs Apathy - What's the difference?

antipathy | apathy |

As nouns the difference between antipathy and apathy

is that antipathy is contrariety or opposition in feeling; settled aversion or dislike; repugnance; distaste while apathy is complete lack of emotion or motivation about a person, activity, or object; depression; lack of interest or enthusiasm; disinterest.

antipathy

English

(Webster 1913)

Noun

(antipathies)
  • Contrariety or opposition in feeling; settled aversion or dislike; repugnance; distaste.
  • * Inveterate antipathies against particular nations, and passionate attachments to others, are to be avoided. --Washington.
  • Natural contrariety; incompatibility; repugnancy of qualities; as, oil and water have antipathy.
  • * A habit is generated of thinking that a natural antipathy exists between hope and reason. --I. Taylor.

    • Usage notes

    * Prepositions: "antipathy" is followed by "to", "against", or "between"; also sometimes by "for".

    Synonyms

    * hatred, aversion, dislike, disgust, distaste, enmity, ill will, repugnance, contrariety, opposition

    Antonyms

    * sympathy

    Related terms

    * antipathetic * antipathetical

    External links

    * * *

    apathy

    English

    (wikipedia apathy)

    Noun

    (en-noun)
  • Complete lack of emotion or motivation about a person, activity, or object; depression; lack of interest or enthusiasm; disinterest.
  • * {{quote-book, year=1818
    • , author=Mary Shelley , title=Frankenstein , chapter=2 citation , passage=I opened it with apathy; the theory which he attempts to demonstrate and the wonderful facts which he relates soon changed this feeling into enthusiasm.}}

    Related terms

    * apatheism (pos n) * apathetic (pos a) * apatheia (pos n)