apathy

ˈæpəθinoun

What does apathy mean?

Not caring about something, with no interest or feeling.

Apathy, six ways

PlainNot caring about something, with no interest or feeling.
ADHDDon’t care. Can’t be bothered. Flat.
Gen ZThe “meh” state. No energy to care about any of it.
MetaphorA phone on silent in a drawer, for every call.
FormalLack of interest, enthusiasm, or concern.
Like I’m 5When you don’t care about anything at all. That’s apathy.

How to pronounce apathy

AP-uh-thee/ˈæpəθi/

Apathy in a sentence

Voter apathy kept the turnout low.
After the third delay, apathy set in.
Apathy, not hostility, killed the proposal.

Synonyms for apathy

indifferenceClose, but cooler and less about energy.
lethargyTiredness of the body more than the heart.
listlessnessDrifting, without the will to start.

Where apathy comes from

Greek. Apatheia, freedom from feeling, from a-, without, and pathos, feeling. For the Stoics it was a virtue.

Good to know

Apathy is a lack of interest, not of opinion: not caring enough to act. The adjective is apathetic.

Apathy meaning, on a Gloss card: Not caring about something, with no interest or feeling.

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Words like apathy

trepidation · equanimity · catharsis · apricity · anachronism · hygge · All 110 words

In: Words for feelings · SAT words · Latin and Greek roots