Apathy
/ˈæpəθi/
nounIntermediate📊CommonEmotion
1 meaning2 questions
Definitions
1
A lack of feeling, emotion, or interest; indifference.
/ˈæpəθi/
nounnegativeIntermediate
Emotion
Lack of feeling, emotion, or interest.
Her apathy towards her studies was concerning.
💡 Simply: Not caring about anything.
More Examples
2
Political apathy is a growing problem.
How It's Used
Psychology
"The therapist noted the patient's profound apathy towards their own well-being."
Politics
"Voter apathy contributed to the low turnout in the election."
From Middle French *apathie, from Late Latin *apathia, from Ancient Greek ἀπάθεια (apátheia), from ἀ- (a-, "without") + πάθος (páthos, "suffering, feeling").
The term has been used to describe a lack of emotion since its adoption from Ancient Greek.
Memory tip
Think 'a' (without) + 'pathos' (feeling) = without feeling.
Word Origin
LanguageAncient Greek
Original meaning
"a- (without) + pathos (feeling, suffering)"
Base: apathy
show apathydisplay apathyvoter apathypolitical apathy
Common misspellings
apathyyaphathyapthie
Practice
Usage
20%Spoken
80%Written