antipathy

an·ti·pathy
A1N1T1I1P3A1T1H4Y4
UK/ænˈtɪpəθi/

noun

Often followed by against, between, for, or to: a (deep) feeling of dislike or repugnance, normally towards a person and less often towards a thing, often without any conscious reasoning; aversion, distaste, hostility; (countable) an instance of this.

“Oil and water have antipathy.”

Similar
contrarietydisgustenmityhatredill feelingill willoppositionaversion
Opposite
sympathy
OriginMiddle French antipathie ← Latin antipathīa ← Ancient Greek ἀντῐπάθειᾰ →
UncommonScrabble 17
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Meanings

nounantipathy (countable and uncountable, plural antipathies)

plural antipathies

  1. uncountableOften followed by against, between, for, or to: a (deep) feeling of dislike or repugnance, normally towards a person and less often towards a thing, often without any conscious reasoning; aversion, distaste, hostility; (countable) an instance of this.

    A Sect, vvhoſe chief Devotion lies / In odde perverſe Antipathies; / In falling out vvith that or this, / And finding ſomevvhat ſtill amiſs: […]

    1662 (indicated as 1663), [Samuel Butler], “Canto I”, in Hudibras. The First Part. […], London: […] J. G. for Richard Marriot, […], →OCLC, page 8
    5 more examples

    For of our Alphabet the .P. doth omenouſly begin / Of theſe this much diſtaſted Ranck, […] vvere other Rankes not free / Of Publique-vveales Antipathie, prooling and peruerſe, P.

    1606, William Warner, “The Fourteenth Booke. Chapter LXXX.”, in A Continuance of Albions England: […], London: […] Felix Kyngston [and Richard Bradock?] for George Potter, […], →OCLC, page 344

    [A] man may cry out against ſin, of policy; but he cannot abhor it, but by virtue of a godly antipathy againſt it: I have heard many cry out againſt ſin in the Pulpit, vvho yet can abide it vvell enough in the heart, and houſe, and converſation.

    1678, John Bunyan, The Pilgrim’s Progress from This World, to That which is to Come: […], London: […] Nath[aniel] Ponder […], →OCLC, page 112

    After dinner, a very honest fellow chanced to let a pun fall from him; his neighbour cried out, "To the infirmary;" at the same time pretending to be sick at it, as having the same natural antipathy to a pun, which some have to a cat.

    1712 July 5 (Gregorian calendar), [Joseph Addison], “TUESDAY, June 25, 1712”, in The Spectator, number 440; republished in Alexander Chalmers, editor, The Spectator; a New Edition, […], volume V, New York, N.Y.: D[aniel] Appleton & Company, 1853, →OCLC, page 172

    Henry himſelf, vvho had ſeen moſt of his near friends and relations periſh in the field or on the ſcaffold, and vvho had been expoſed him his ovvn perſon to many hardſhips and dangers, had imbibed a violent antipathy to the York party, vvhich no time nor experience vvere ever able to efface.

    1759, David Hume, “[Henry VII.] Chapter I.”, in The History of England, under the House of Tudor. […], volume I, London: […] A[ndrew] Millar, […], →OCLC, page 4

    Ever since the fatal night, the end of my labours, and the beginning of my misfortunes, I had conceived a violent antipathy even to the name of natural philosophy.

    1816 June – 1817 April/May (date written), [Mary Shelley], chapter V, in Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus. […], volume I, London: […] [Macdonald and Son] for Lackington, Hughes, Harding, Mavor, & Jones, published 1 January 1818, →OCLC, pages 124–125

    Synonyms: contrariety, disgust, enmity, hatred, ill feeling, ill will, opposition · Antonyms: sympathy

  2. uncountableNatural contrariety or incompatibility between things, as a result of which they negatively affect or oppose each other; (countable) an instance of this.

    Oil and water have antipathy.

    3 more examples

    […] Tangible Bodies haue an Antipathy vvith Aire; And if they finde any Liquid Body, that is more denſe, neere them, they vvill dravv it: And after they haue dravvne it, they vvill condenſe it more and in effect incorporate it; For vvee ſee that a Spunge, or vvooll, or Sugar, or a vvoollen Cloth, being put but in part, in vvater, or vvine, vvill dravv the Liquor higher, and beyond the place, vvhere the vvater or vvine commeth.

    1631, Francis [Bacon], “I. Century. [Experiment in Consort Touching the Version and Transmutation of Aire into Water.]”, in Sylua Syluarum: Or A Naturall Historie. In Ten Centuries. […], 3rd edition, London: […] William Rawley […]; [p]rinted by J[ohn] H[aviland] for William Lee […], →OCLC, paragraph 80, page 25

    Every one knovvs that there are among Brute Creatures many natural Averſions and Antipathies, vvhich direct ſuch Beings as are void of Reaſon to fly from thoſe Animals vvhich ſeek their Deſtruction.

    1714 February 12 (Gregorian calendar), Richard Steele, “February 2. [1714].”, in The Englishman: Being the Sequel of the Guardian, collected edition, number 52, London: […] Sam[uel] Buckley […], published 1714, →OCLC, page 332

    Now between Mars and Luna, the one red, t'other white, the one hot, t'other cold and so forth, stands, as I have told you, a natural antipathy, or, as you say, hatred. Which antipathy their creatures do inherit.

    1910, Rudyard Kipling, “A Doctor of Medicine”, in Rewards and Fairies, London: Macmillan and Co., […], →OCLC, page 257

    Antonyms: sympathy

  3. countableA person or thing that one has a (deep) feeling of dislike or repugnance towards; an anathema, a bête noire, a bugbear.

    Let him be to thee, an Antipathy, / A thing thy nature ſvveates at, and turnes backvvard: […]

    c. 1607–1621 (date written), [Francis Beaumont; John Fletcher; Philip Massinger], The Tragedy of Thierry King of France, and His Brother Theodoret. […], London: […] [Nicholas Okes] for Thomas Walkley, […], published 1621, →OCLC, Act I, scene i, signature B3, recto
    1 more example

    Dr. Slicer is decidedly one of my antipathies and I shall not go to ride with him. Why has he taken to coming here?

    1862 August 29 (date written), Kate Stone, “1862: ‘These Troublous Times’”, in John Q. Anderson, editor, Brokenburn: The Journal of Kate Stone 1861–1868, Baton Rouge, La.: Louisiana State University Press, published 1955, →OCLC, page 142
  4. countableobsoleteA person or thing that has a (deep) feeling of dislike or repugnance towards another person or thing; a hater.
    1 more example

    And therefore having firſt vvith horror vveigh'd / VVhat tis to die, and to die yong, to part vvith / All pleaſures, and delights: laſtly, to goe / VVhere all Antipathies to comfort dvvell / Furies behind, about thee, and before thee, / […] let deſpayre / Preuent the hangmans ſvvord, and on this ſcaffold / Make thy firſt entrance into Hell.

    1620 (first performance; published 1622), Philip Messenger [i.e., Philip Massinger]; Thomas Dekker, The Virgin Martir, a Tragedie. […], London: […] Bernard Alsop for Thomas Iones, →OCLC, Act IV, signature K, recto
  5. countableuncountablebiologyThe quality of being antipathetic: not easily united by grafting.

Synonyms & antonyms

nounOften followed by against, between, for, or to: a (deep) feeling of dislike or repugnance, normally towards a person and less often towards a thing, often without any conscious reasoning; aversion, distaste, hostility; (countable) an instance of this.

Similar
contrarietydisgustenmityhatredill feelingill willopposition
Opposite
sympathy

nounNatural contrariety or incompatibility between things, as a result of which they negatively affect or oppose each other; (countable) an instance of this.

Opposite
sympathy

More synonyms by meaning

nouna feeling of intense dislike

Similar
aversiondistaste
Broader
dislike
Also see
anathemaaversionbête noirebugbeardisgustdistasteenmityfroideurhatredhostility

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*bʰendʰ-“to bind; a bond”
  2. Koine Greekἀντῐπάθειᾰ“contrary affection; contrast; counteraction; opposition”
  3. Ancient Greekἀντῐπάθειᾰ“suffering instead”
  4. Latinantipathīa“counteraction; natural aversion, antipathy”
  5. Middle Frenchantipathie“deep dislike; object of dislike; incompatibility between things”
  6. Englishantipathy

PIE word *h₂énti Borrowed from Middle French antipathie (“deep dislike; object of dislike; incompatibility between things”) (modern French antipathie (“dislike, antipathy”)), and from its etymon Latin antipathīa (“counteraction; natural aversion, antipathy”), from Ancient Greek ἀντῐπάθειᾰ (antĭpátheiă, “suffering instead”), Koine Greek ἀντῐπάθειᾰ (antĭpátheiă, “contrary affection; contrast; counteraction; opposition”), from ἀντῐπᾰθής (antĭpăthḗs, “(adjective) felt mutually; in return for suffering; (noun) remedy for suffering”) (from ἀντι- (anti-, prefix meaning ‘against’) + πᾰ́θος (pắthos, “death; disaster; misfortune; pain; suffering; strong feeling, emotion, passion, pathos”) (further etymology uncertain, possibly ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *bʰendʰ- (“to bind; a bond”) or *kʷendʰ- (“to endure; to suffer”)) + -ης (-ēs, suffix forming third-declension adjectives)) + -ειᾰ (-eiă, suffix forming feminine adjectives and nouns).

More words from Middle French, Latin, Ancient Greek

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Arabic مشاعر مناهضة
  • مشاعر مناهضة(deep) feeling of dislike or repugnance, often without any conscious reasoning; an instance of this — see also aversion, distaste, hostility
Bulgarian антипатия
  • антипатия (antipatija)(deep) feeling of dislike or repugnance, often without any conscious reasoning; an instance of this — see also aversion, distaste, hostility
Chinese Mandarin 反感
  • 反感 (fǎngǎn)(deep) feeling of dislike or repugnance, often without any conscious reasoning; an instance of this — see also aversion, distaste, hostility
Czech antipatie
  • antipatie(deep) feeling of dislike or repugnance, often without any conscious reasoning; an instance of this — see also aversion, distaste, hostility
Dutch antipathie, afkeer
  • antipathie(deep) feeling of dislike or repugnance, often without any conscious reasoning; an instance of this — see also aversion, distaste, hostility
  • afkeer(deep) feeling of dislike or repugnance, often without any conscious reasoning; an instance of this — see also aversion, distaste, hostility
Esperanto antipatio, malsimpatio
  • antipatio(deep) feeling of dislike or repugnance, often without any conscious reasoning; an instance of this — see also aversion, distaste, hostility
  • malsimpatio(deep) feeling of dislike or repugnance, often without any conscious reasoning; an instance of this — see also aversion, distaste, hostility
Finnish antipatia, karttaminen
  • antipatia(deep) feeling of dislike or repugnance, often without any conscious reasoning; an instance of this — see also aversion, distaste, hostility
  • karttaminen(deep) feeling of dislike or repugnance, often without any conscious reasoning; an instance of this — see also aversion, distaste, hostility
  • antipatianatural contrariety or incompatibility between things; an instance of this
  • vastakkaisuusnatural contrariety or incompatibility between things; an instance of this
French antipathie
  • antipathie(deep) feeling of dislike or repugnance, often without any conscious reasoning; an instance of this — see also aversion, distaste, hostility
German Antipathie
  • Antipathie(deep) feeling of dislike or repugnance, often without any conscious reasoning; an instance of this — see also aversion, distaste, hostility
Greek αντιπάθεια
  • αντιπάθεια (antipátheia)(deep) feeling of dislike or repugnance, often without any conscious reasoning; an instance of this — see also aversion, distaste, hostility
Hebrew אנטיפתיה
  • אנטיפתיה(deep) feeling of dislike or repugnance, often without any conscious reasoning; an instance of this — see also aversion, distaste, hostility
Hungarian antipátia, ellenszenv
  • antipátia(deep) feeling of dislike or repugnance, often without any conscious reasoning; an instance of this — see also aversion, distaste, hostility
  • ellenszenv(deep) feeling of dislike or repugnance, often without any conscious reasoning; an instance of this — see also aversion, distaste, hostility
Icelandic andúð, óbeit
  • andúð(deep) feeling of dislike or repugnance, often without any conscious reasoning; an instance of this — see also aversion, distaste, hostility
  • óbeit(deep) feeling of dislike or repugnance, often without any conscious reasoning; an instance of this — see also aversion, distaste, hostility
Indonesian antipati
  • antipati(deep) feeling of dislike or repugnance, often without any conscious reasoning; an instance of this — see also aversion, distaste, hostility
Italian antipatia
  • antipatia(deep) feeling of dislike or repugnance, often without any conscious reasoning; an instance of this — see also aversion, distaste, hostility
Japanese 厭悪感, 反感
  • 厭悪感 (en'okan)(deep) feeling of dislike or repugnance, often without any conscious reasoning; an instance of this — see also aversion, distaste, hostility
  • 反感 (hankan)(deep) feeling of dislike or repugnance, often without any conscious reasoning; an instance of this — see also aversion, distaste, hostility
  • 嫌悪感 (ken'okan)(deep) feeling of dislike or repugnance, often without any conscious reasoning; an instance of this — see also aversion, distaste, hostility
Polish antypatia
  • antypatia(deep) feeling of dislike or repugnance, often without any conscious reasoning; an instance of this — see also aversion, distaste, hostility
Portuguese antipatia
  • antipatia(deep) feeling of dislike or repugnance, often without any conscious reasoning; an instance of this — see also aversion, distaste, hostility
Romanian antipatie, aversiune
  • antipatie(deep) feeling of dislike or repugnance, often without any conscious reasoning; an instance of this — see also aversion, distaste, hostility
  • aversiune(deep) feeling of dislike or repugnance, often without any conscious reasoning; an instance of this — see also aversion, distaste, hostility
Russian антипа́тия
  • антипа́тия (antipátija)(deep) feeling of dislike or repugnance, often without any conscious reasoning; an instance of this — see also aversion, distaste, hostility
Spanish antipatía, aversión
  • antipatía(deep) feeling of dislike or repugnance, often without any conscious reasoning; an instance of this — see also aversion, distaste, hostility
  • aversión(deep) feeling of dislike or repugnance, often without any conscious reasoning; an instance of this — see also aversion, distaste, hostility
Swedish antipati, motvilja
  • antipati(deep) feeling of dislike or repugnance, often without any conscious reasoning; an instance of this — see also aversion, distaste, hostility
  • motvilja(deep) feeling of dislike or repugnance, often without any conscious reasoning; an instance of this — see also aversion, distaste, hostility
Turkish antipati
  • antipati(deep) feeling of dislike or repugnance, often without any conscious reasoning; an instance of this — see also aversion, distaste, hostility
Ukrainian антипа́тія
  • антипа́тія (antypátija)(deep) feeling of dislike or repugnance, often without any conscious reasoning; an instance of this — see also aversion, distaste, hostility
Yiddish אַנטיפּאַטיע
  • אַנטיפּאַטיע (antipatye)(deep) feeling of dislike or repugnance, often without any conscious reasoning; an instance of this — see also aversion, distaste, hostility
Cite this entry
APA

antipathy. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/antipathy

MLA

“antipathy.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/antipathy. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “antipathy,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/antipathy.

Source: antipathy on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.