Basic Details
Word: Antipathy
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: A strong and lasting dislike of someone or something.
Synonyms: dislike, hostility, aversion, hatred
Antonyms: liking, fondness, sympathy
Word origin: From Greek antipatheia: anti, against, and pathos, feeling.
How to Spell Antipathy
Syllables: an - tip - a - thy
Tricky part: The middle is i, so it is anti, and the ending is thy with no e before the y. Students often write antipathey or drop the h.
Watch out for: antipathey, antipaty, antepathy
Memory tip: Split it as anti + pathy, a feeling against. The pathy ending is spelt exactly as in sympathy.
Usage Examples
Example 1: My little brother has a deep antipathy towards bitter gourd.
Example 2: Despite their antipathy, the two rivals shook hands after the final.
Example 3: The cat showed a clear antipathy to the new puppy and hid under the bed.
Fun Fact
Take away the n-t-i and you are left with apathy, which means not caring at all. So apathy is having no feeling, while antipathy is having a strong feeling against something.
Practise the CREST Way
Spell-o-Spell
Only one word in the list is spelt correctly. Choose the meaning of that word.
1. antipathy 2. emphaty 3. simpathy 4. pathettic
a) causing pity or sadness
b) the ability to understand and share another person's feelings
c) a strong feeling of dislike
d) sharing in someone else's sorrow
Show answer
c) a strong feeling of dislike. Antipathy alone is written properly; sympathy, empathy and pathetic have all been bent out of shape.
Word Connection
Choose the word opposite in meaning to antipathy as used in the sentence:
Years of antipathy between the two villages ended when they built a new school together.
a) goodwill
b) resentment
c) bitterness
d) hostility
Show answer
a) goodwill. Antipathy is ill feeling, so goodwill is its opposite; hostility, resentment and bitterness are close to it in meaning.
Word Cookie
Find the extra letter in the word:
antipathey
a) e
b) t
c) h
d) y
Show answer
a) e. No e sits before the final y; the word ends in thy.
Mingle-Mangle
Unjumble the word in the sentence and choose it:
Ever since the dog bit him, Kabir has felt a strong hytpanita for large dogs.
a) antiquity
b) sympathy
c) antipathy
d) apathy
Show answer
c) antipathy. These nine letters, with two a's and two t's, give antipathy; apathy is too short and sympathy needs an s and an m.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. A person with an antipathy to crowds would probably ____.
a) enjoy packed stadiums
b) avoid busy markets
c) organise large parties
d) feel calm on a full train
Show answer
b) avoid busy markets
2. Antipathy is made from anti, meaning against, and pathy, meaning ____.
a) path
b) father
c) speed
d) feeling
Show answer
d) feeling
