apathetic
adjective
ap·a·thet·ic
ˌa-pə-ˈthe-tik 
: affected by, characterized by, or displaying apathy : having or showing little or no interest, concern, or emotion
apathetic voters
apathetic indifference
an apathetic attitude/response
It's really easy to feel apathetic about politics and forget how much they affect our daily lives.—
Emily Shwake
Emily ShwakeNFL fans and media members are mostly apathetic toward the exhibition games.—Henry McKenna
Henry McKennaEven with Doppler radar and networks of spotters, many residents of Tornado Alley are surprisingly apathetic.—Warren Faidley
Warren FaidleyShe was listless, apathetic, calm with the calmness of a woman who knows she can suffer no further.—Frank Norris
Frank NorrisChildren or teens who are … depressed and apathetic …—Victoria L. Dunckley
Victoria L. DunckleyPeople with abnormally low levels of thyroid hormones (hypothyroidism) are often listless and apathetic; in fact, the symptoms may look very much like endogenous depression.—Lester Grinspoon et al.
Lester Grinspoon et al.… there is no emotion and she remains apathetic to all around her.—leitrimobserver.ie
leitrimobserver.ie
Did you know?
Discover if You're Apathetic
Apathy, or lack of emotion, is central to Albert Camus's famous novel The Stranger, in which the main character's indifference toward almost everything, including his mother's death, results in his imprisonment. We feel little sympathy for him, and may even feel antipathy, or dislike. The American voter is often called apathetic; of all the industrial democracies, only in America does half the adult population fail to vote in major elections. As you can see, apathetic isn't the opposite of pathetic, even though the a- that it begins with means "not" or "without".
Synonyms
Examples of apathetic in a Sentence
But contrary to popular belief, not all jocks are as apathetic as they are athletic. One such progressive player is Toni Smith, a college basketball player who turned her back on Old Glory every time the national anthem was played before her games last season. In a written statement, she cited America's systemic inequalities as her reason for not saluting the flag.
—Complex, June/July 2003
The disorder is sometimes inherited via a defective gene from one parent, and patients are usually spared signs of the disorder until they reach their fifties. Because the brain-cell loss occurs in parts of the brain that help regulate social behavior, personality changes are the most common manifestations of the illness. Patients tend to become either uninhibited or apathetic.
—Bruce L. Miller, Discover, January 1998
But in cities such as Boston, Cincinnati, Oakland, San Francisco, and Seattle, reformers are trying to recharge an apathetic electorate by taking aim at the very process of voting itself.
—Wilma Rule et al., Ms., September/October 1996
Young people are becoming increasingly apathetic.
the apathetic attitude of the public
Surprisingly, most Americans are apathetic toward this important issue.
Complex, June/July 2003
The disorder is sometimes inherited via a defective gene from one parent, and patients are usually spared signs of the disorder until they reach their fifties. Because the brain-cell loss occurs in parts of the brain that help regulate social behavior, personality changes are the most common manifestations of the illness. Patients tend to become either uninhibited or apathetic.
—Bruce L. Miller, Discover, January 1998
But in cities such as Boston, Cincinnati, Oakland, San Francisco, and Seattle, reformers are trying to recharge an apathetic electorate by taking aim at the very process of voting itself.
—Wilma Rule et al., Ms., September/October 1996
Young people are becoming increasingly apathetic.
the apathetic attitude of the public
Surprisingly, most Americans are apathetic toward this important issue.
Recent Examples on the Web
That feels off, as Hoosiers don't strike me as a particularly apathetic bunch.
—Eric Larsen, The Indianapolis Star, 1 Nov. 2024
Popular on Variety Hank isn’t entirely apathetic, eventually becoming a science teacher.
—Stephen Saito, Variety, 13 Sep. 2024
With every desire met, the residents of the actual Good Place, or heaven, have become apathetic, their lives stripped of purpose.
—By Naina Bajekal / Applegate, Calif., TIME, 7 Aug. 2024
In a distant third is Andrés Ojeda, 40, a muscular and media-savvy lawyer who has tried to energize apathetic young voters with splashy campaign videos showing him lifting weights at the gym and describing himself as a classic Capricorn.
—Nayara Batschke and Isabel Debre, Los Angeles Times, 27 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for apathetic 
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Eric Larsen, The Indianapolis Star, 1 Nov. 2024
Popular on Variety Hank isn’t entirely apathetic, eventually becoming a science teacher.
—Stephen Saito, Variety, 13 Sep. 2024
With every desire met, the residents of the actual Good Place, or heaven, have become apathetic, their lives stripped of purpose.
—By Naina Bajekal / Applegate, Calif., TIME, 7 Aug. 2024
In a distant third is Andrés Ojeda, 40, a muscular and media-savvy lawyer who has tried to energize apathetic young voters with splashy campaign videos showing him lifting weights at the gym and describing himself as a classic Capricorn.
—Nayara Batschke and Isabel Debre, Los Angeles Times, 27 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for apathetic
Articles Related to apathetic
Dictionary Entries Near apathetic
Cite this Entry
“Apathetic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/apathetic. Accessed 27 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
apathetic
adjective
ap·a·thet·ic
ˌap-ə-ˈthet-ik
: having or showing little or no feeling or interest
Medical Definition
apathetic
adjective
ap·a·thet·ic
ˌap-ə-ˈthet-ik
: having or showing little or no feeling or emotion
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