Word Study
Apathy
CIDE DICTIONARY
Apathy, n. [L. apathia, Gr. ; 'a priv. + , fr. , , to suffer: cf. F. apathie. See Pathos.].
Want of feeling; privation of passion, emotion, or excitement; dispassion; -- applied either to the body or the mind. As applied to the mind, it is a calmness, indolence, or state of indifference, incapable of being ruffled or roused to active interest or exertion by pleasure, pain, or passion. Macaulay. [1913 Webster]
" In the first ages of the church, the Christians adopted the term to express a contempt of earthly concerns." [1913 Webster]
"A certain apathy or sluggishness in his nature which led him . . . to leave events to take their own course." [1913 Webster]
"According to the Stoics, apathy meant the extinction of the passions by the ascendency of reason." [1913 Webster]
Syn. -- Insensibility; unfeelingness; indifference; unconcern; stoicism; supineness; sluggishness.
OXFORD DICTIONARY
Apathy, n. (often foll. by towards) lack of interest or feeling; indifference.
Etymology
F apathie f. L apathia f. Gk apatheia f. apathes without feeling f. a- not + pathos suffering
THESAURUS
Apathy
Laodiceanism, abeyance, abstraction, abulia, accidia, acedia, alienation, aloofness, anxiety, anxiety equivalent, anxiety state, ataraxia, ataraxy, benumbedness, blah, blahs, boredom, callousness, calmness, carelessness, casualness, catalepsy, catatonia, catatonic stupor, cave of Trophonius, cave of despair, coldness, comatoseness, compulsion, deadliness, deathliness, dejection, depression, despair, desperateness, desperation, despondency, detachment, disconsolateness, disinterest, disinterestedness, dispassion, dispassionateness, disregard, disregardfulness, dormancy, drowsiness, dullness, easygoingness, elation, emotionalism, enervation, ennui, entropy, euphoria, fatigue, folie du doute, forlornness, halfheartedness, hardness, heartlessness, heaviness, hebetude, heedlessness, hopelessness, hypochondria, hysteria, hysterics, impassiveness, impassivity, inanimation, inappetence, inattention, incuriosity, incuriousness, indifference, indifferentism, indifferentness, indiscrimination, indolence, inertia, inertness, inexcitability, insensibility, insensitivity, insouciance, intellectual inertia, jadedness, lack of affect, lack of appetite, lack of interest, lackadaisicalness, languidness, languishment, languor, languorousness, lassitude, latency, lenitude, lentor, lethargicalness, lethargy, lifelessness, listlessness, lotus-eating, lukewarmness, mania, melancholia, mental distress, mindlessness, negligence, no exit, no way, no way out, nonchalance, numbness, obduracy, obsession, oscitancy, passiveness, passivity, pathological indecisiveness, phlegm, phlegmaticalness, phlegmaticness, plucklessness, pococurantism, preoccupation, psychalgia, psychomotor disturbance, recklessness, regardlessness, resignation, resignedness, satedness, sleepiness, sloth, slothfulness, slowness, sluggishness, somnolence, sopor, soporifousness, spiritlessness, spunklessness, stagnancy, stagnation, stasis, stoicism, stolidity, stupefaction, stupor, supineness, suspense, tic, torpidity, torpidness, torpitude, torpor, twitching, unanxiousness, unawareness, unconcern, uninquisitiveness, uninterestedness, unmindfulness, unresponsiveness, unsolicitousness, vegetation, vis inertiae, weariness, withdrawal, withdrawnness, world-wearinessROGET THESAURUS
Apathy
Insensibility
N insensibility, insensibleness, moral insensibility, inertness, inertia, vis inertiae, impassibility, impassibleness, inappetency, apathy, phlegm, dullness, hebetude, supineness, lukewarmness, cold fit, cold blood, cold heart, coldness, coolness, frigidity, sang froid, stoicism, imperturbation, nonchalance, unconcern, dry eyes, insouciance, recklessness, callousness, heart of stone, stock and stone, marble, deadness, torpor, torpidity, obstupefaction, lethargy, coma, trance, vegetative state, sleep, suspended animation, stupor, stupefaction, paralysis, palsy, numbness, neutrality, quietism, vegetation, insensible, unconscious, impassive, impassible, blind to, deaf to, dead to, unsusceptible, insusceptible, unimpressionable, unimpressible, passionless, spiritless, heartless, soulless, unfeeling, unmoral, apathetic, leuco-, phlegmatic, dull, frigid, cold blooded, cold hearted, cold as charity, flat, maudlin, obtuse, inert, supine, sluggish, torpid, torpedinous, torporific, sleepy, languid, half-hearted, tame, numbed, comatose, anaesthetic, stupefied, chloroformed, drugged, stoned, palsy-stricken, indifferent, lukewarm, careless, mindless, regardless, inattentive, neglectful, disregarding, unconcerned, nonchalant, pococurante, insouciant, sans souci, unambitious, unaffected, unruffled, unimpressed, uninspired, unexcited, unmoved, unstirred, untouched, unshocked, unstruck, unblushing, unanimated, vegetative, callous, thick-skinned, hard-nosed, pachydermatous, impervious, hardened, inured, casehardened, steeled against, proof against, imperturbable, unfelt, insensibly, aequo animo, without being moved, without being touched, without being impressed, in cold blood, with dry eyes, with withers unwrung, never mind, macht nichts, it is of no consequence, it cannot be helped, nothing coming amiss, it is all the same to, it is all one to.Indifference
N indifference, neutrality, coldness, anaphrodisia, unconcern, insouciance, nonchalance, want of interest, want of earnestness, anorexy, anorexia, inappetency, apathy, supineness, disdain, recklessness, inattention, anaphrodisiac, antaphrodisiac, lust-quencher, passion-queller, indifferent, cold, frigid, lukewarm, cool, cool as a cucumber, unconcerned, insouciant, phlegmatic, pococurante, easygoing, devil-may- care, careless, listless, lackadaisical, half-hearted, unambitious, unaspiring, undesirous, unsolicitous, unattracted, aloof, unapproachable, remote, uncaring, unattractive, unalluring, undesired, undesirable, uncared for, unwished, unvalued, all one to, insipid, vain, for aught one cares, Int, never mind, Who cares? whatever you like, whatever, I couldn't care less, I could care less, anything will do, es macht nichts.For further exploring for "Apathy" in Webster Dictionary Online