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
- apathetically adverb
Etymology
Origin of apathetic
First recorded in 1735–45; apath(y) + (path)etic
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.
MacArthur Park is L.A.’s Gloria Swanson — a place long lionized as a former jewel supposedly ruined by waves of newcomers and apathetic politicians.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 22, 2026
CEOs, in turn, pursue strategies against apathetic indexers or fickle traders who chase hot stocks and flee at the first hint of trouble.
From Barron's • Jan. 2, 2026
"The only way the monarchy works is by everybody either being apathetic or feeling very affectionate towards it," argues Anna Whitelock, a professor of the history of monarchy at City, University of London.
From BBC • Nov. 30, 2025
It is also hosting block parties outside early voting locations to lure young people who might otherwise be too apathetic or disorganized to make the effort.
From Slate • Oct. 30, 2024
She didn’t mind disagreement, but she hated people who were apathetic and indecisive.
From "Genuine Fraud" by E. Lockhart
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.
