Antipathy, Antipathetic and Antipathetical
Antipathy, antipathetic, and antipathetical all stem from the Greek word “antipatheia,” meaning a strong feeling against something. Antipathy (n.) refers to a deep-seated dislike or aversion, often instinctive or irrational, toward a person, thing, or idea—e.g., “She felt antipathy toward crowded places.” Antipathetic (adj.) describes something or someone characterized by or causing this dislike, often with a sense of opposition or incompatibility, as in “His antipathetic attitude alienated his peers.” Antipathetical, a less common variant of antipathetic, carries a similar meaning but emphasizes a stronger, more inherent opposition or repugnance, e.g., “Their views were antipathetical to the group’s values.” While interchangeable in some contexts, antipathetical may sound more formal or emphatic. For example, one might say, “Her antipathy toward injustice made her antipathetic to corrupt officials, finding their actions utterly antipathetical to her principles.”
Antipathy is a noun that refers to a strong feeling of dislike or aversion toward someone or something. It is an intense negative emotion that can be irrational or based on experience, often leading to avoidance or opposition. The adjective forms “antipathetic” and “antipathetical” describe a state or attitude characterized by antipathy. Both mean showing or feeling strong opposition, hostility, or aversion. While “antipathetic” is more commonly used, “antipathetical” tends to be a slightly more formal or literary variant with the same meaning. Essentially, if a person or thing is described as antipathetic or antipathetical, it means they express or inspire strong dislike or antagonism toward something else.
The word antipathy refers to a strong feeling of dislike or aversion toward someone or something, often rooted in instinct rather than reason. Its adjective forms, antipathetic and antipathetical, both describe something that is opposed, hostile, or incompatible with another, though antipathetic is more commonly used in modern English. For example, a person may feel an antipathy toward dishonesty, while their values could be described as antipathetic to corruption. All three words capture the essence of deep-seated opposition, whether in personal feelings, attitudes, or abstract ideas.
The words antipathy, antipathetic, and antipathetical are all related terms centered on the idea of strong dislike, aversion, or opposition. Antipathy is the noun, referring to a deep-seated feeling of aversion or hostility toward a person or thing, often existing without any rational or conscious explanation. For example, a person might have an intense antipathy to abstract art. Antipathetic and antipathetical are both adjectives, with antipathetical being a less common variant of antipathetic. They describe something characterized by antipathy, meaning it shows or feels strong aversion, or something that is strongly opposed or antagonistic to something else. For instance, an authoritarian government would be considered antipathetic (or antipathetical) to democracy, or a person who dislikes all new technology could be described as having an antipathetic attitude towards innovation.
