1
as in numbness
a lack of emotion or emotional expressiveness
the apathy of the people of that war-torn country comes from their having seen too many horrors
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in disregard
lack of interest or concern
her poor grades are proof enough of her apathy concerning all matters academic
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of apathy
Constant boredom can cause real distress, apathy, or frustration.
—
Amanda Morin, Parents, 6 Apr. 2026
Other barriers to having home-cooked, nutritious food could include lack of motivation, medications or losing the sense of taste or smell that may lead to apathy about food.
—Addison Wright, Chicago Tribune, 2 Apr. 2026
The Democrats’ apathy and fecklessness is perhaps second only to the peculiarities of Trump the man as one of the conditioning factors of the current political moment.
—Jude Russo, Washington Post, 1 Apr. 2026
There was a pervasive sense of cultural apathy regarding the study of the past that was growing stronger by the minute, as if the world had already accrued the maximum knowledge of prior civilizations and required nothing further in order to barrel onward into the future.
—Literary Hub, 1 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for apathy
Amanda Morin, Parents, 6 Apr. 2026
Other barriers to having home-cooked, nutritious food could include lack of motivation, medications or losing the sense of taste or smell that may lead to apathy about food.
—Addison Wright, Chicago Tribune, 2 Apr. 2026
The Democrats’ apathy and fecklessness is perhaps second only to the peculiarities of Trump the man as one of the conditioning factors of the current political moment.
—Jude Russo, Washington Post, 1 Apr. 2026
There was a pervasive sense of cultural apathy regarding the study of the past that was growing stronger by the minute, as if the world had already accrued the maximum knowledge of prior civilizations and required nothing further in order to barrel onward into the future.
—Literary Hub, 1 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for apathy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for apathy
Noun
-
Signs of a stroke can be identified by sudden numbness or weakness in the face, arm, or leg; sudden confusion, trouble speaking, or difficulty understanding speech; issues with eyesight; loss of balance, dizziness, and difficulty walking; and severe headache with no identifiable cause.—
Anthony Robledo,
USA Today,
25 Apr. 2026
-
People may also notice numbness, tingling or burning in the hands or feet.—
Angelica Stabile,
FOXNews.com,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Moral rectitude, in some left-wing corners of the commentariat, is out; flagrant disregard of the social contract is in.—
Will Gottsegen,
The Atlantic,
24 Apr. 2026
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Dashboard camera footage from a police cruiser that arrived on scene shows brazen disregard for the arrival of authorities, as takeover participants, some wearing black face coverings, jump on the hood of the vehicle while fireworks blast off in an intersection behind them.—
Peter D'Abrosca,
FOXNews.com,
23 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Something natural decay shares with human indifference and brutality—war, waste, and rot, literal and metaphorical.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
24 Apr. 2026
-
State lawmakers are considering changing the penalties for crimes in Colorado involving extreme indifference.—
Shaun Boyd,
CBS News,
23 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Why do people team up around an emptiness, so much spent breath?—
Julian Bell,
The New York Review of Books,
25 Apr. 2026
-
The scene leaves us wondering about the sudden emptiness.—
Paul Sutter,
Space.com,
25 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
And if salt and water start to move, so, too, does the phlegm that has been sitting dehydrated in the lungs of CF patients.—
Courtney Crowder,
USA Today,
10 Apr. 2026
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Smelling of rotting grapes, the phlegm is musty and acetone-tinged, like a decanter of red wine forgotten in a dark kitchen corner after a dinner party, left to turn into vinegar.—
Courtney Crowder,
Des Moines Register,
15 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Apathy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/apathy. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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