apathetic
Americanadjective
-
having or showing little or no emotion.
apathetic behavior.
- Antonyms:
- emotional
-
not interested or concerned; indifferent or unresponsive.
an apathetic audience.
- Synonyms:
- unconcerned, uninterested
- Antonyms:
- concerned
adjective
Usage
What does apathetic mean? Apathetic means uncaring. It’s an adjective form of apathy—the state of not caring. It can also mean the absence or suppression of emotion or passion. Apathetic is especially used to describe people with a lack of interest or concern about things, especially those that others find important or exciting. Apathetic often means about the same thing as indifferent, but it’s more often used in the context of someone’s lack of action when action is needed. The word apathetic is typically used in a negative way to criticize someone as being irresponsible or insensitive. When someone is accused of being apathetic, it usually means the person making the accusation thinks the apathetic person should care more—or at all. Example: Your generation is astoundingly apathetic—it’s like none of you care about any of the big problems in the world!
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of apathetic
First recorded in 1735–45; apath(y) + (path)etic
Explanation
Apathetic is an adjective that describes the feeling of being bored with what’s going on around you. If you don’t care one way or another, you’re apathetic. The Greek word pathos describes a type of emotional suffering that afflicts people who are super sensitive to their environment. Pathos is a root word of apathetic, but the prefix a- turns it into the opposite: emotional boredom, insensitivity, and a lack of enthusiasm. Maybe you feel apathetic because nothing around you stirs your interest, or maybe it’s because you need some coffee.
Vocabulary lists containing apathetic
300 Most Difficult "SAT" Words
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The New SAT: Words to Capture Tone
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Rosa, who said he had been politically apathetic for much of his life, has since become an ardent supporter of Mamdani and the DSA.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 23, 2026
Bill Plaschke writes that oft-injured, apathetic and entitled Kawhi Leonard has collected nearly $300 million of Steve Ballmer’s money and burned it.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 29, 2026
Investors have become “resilient and apathetic at the same time,” he said.
From MarketWatch ● Apr. 29, 2026
Nobody that day would have believed that less than 12 months on, a fanbase so united behind its team and its manager would be, at best, apathetic as to whether Slot remains in the job.
From BBC ● Apr. 4, 2026
Distracted, and a bit apathetic about the rat’s disgust, Clare ignored the question.
From "The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest" by Aubrey Hartman
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
