What does antipathetic mean?
Antipathetic is an adjective describing a deep, often instinctive feeling of dislike or aversion toward a person, group, idea, or thing. Someone who is antipathetic to a proposal is not merely indifferent — they feel an active resistance or hostility toward it. The word can also describe things that are naturally opposed or incompatible with one another, such as substances that react badly together or principles that cannot coexist. It derives from the Greek 'antipatheia', built from 'anti-' (against) and 'pathos' (feeling), making it the conceptual opposite of sympathy and empathy. Antipathetic carries a formal, somewhat literary tone and typically appears in phrases like 'antipathetic to' or 'antipathetic towards'. It should not be confused with apathetic, which denotes a lack of feeling rather than negative feeling. As a precise way to express settled opposition rather than passing annoyance, it remains a valuable word in careful writing.
Feeling or showing a strong, instinctive dislike or aversion toward someone or something.
"She was antipathetic to any suggestion of compromise."
Usually followed by 'to' or 'towards' to specify the object of aversion.
(Of things) Naturally opposed, contrary, or incompatible with something else.
"The two ingredients are antipathetic and should never be combined."
An older sense, now less common, rooted in early natural philosophy.
It shares its Greek roots with 'sympathy' — but where sympathy means feeling *with* someone, antipathetic means feeling firmly *against* them.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of antipathetic
Antipathetic comes from the Greek 'antipatheia', meaning 'feeling against', formed from 'anti-' (against) and 'pathos' (feeling, suffering). The term passed into Latin and then into English in the early 17th century, initially in contexts of natural philosophy to describe substances or bodies naturally opposed to each other. Its cognates include 'sympathy' (feeling with) and 'apathy' (without feeling), all sharing the Greek root 'pathos'. Over time the word shifted toward describing human attitudes of aversion and hostility.
Related word forms
How antipathetic is actually used
Formal to literary in register; rarely heard in casual conversation. The second sense (of things being opposed in nature) is less common today than the first. Often used with 'to' or 'towards' to indicate the object of aversion.
Easily confused with antipathetic
Apathetic means showing no interest or emotion at all, whereas antipathetic means actively feeling dislike or aversion.
Empathetic describes the ability to understand and share another's feelings, the opposite of the aversion implied by antipathetic.