ANTIPATHY

Pronunciation (US):

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IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does antipathy mean? 

• ANTIPATHY (noun)
  The noun ANTIPATHY has 2 senses:

1. a feeling of intense dislike

2. the object of a feeling of intense aversion; something to be avoided

  Familiarity information: ANTIPATHY used as a noun is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• ANTIPATHY (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A feeling of intense dislike

Classified under:

Nouns denoting feelings and emotions

Synonyms:

antipathy; aversion; distaste

Hypernyms ("antipathy" is a kind of...):

dislike (a feeling of aversion or antipathy)

Derivation:

antipathetic (characterized by antagonism or antipathy)

antipathetic ((usually followed by 'to') strongly opposed)

antipathetical (characterized by antagonism or antipathy)

Sense 2

Meaning:

The object of a feeling of intense aversion; something to be avoided

Classified under:

Nouns denoting cognitive processes and contents

Context example:

cats were his greatest antipathy

Hypernyms ("antipathy" is a kind of...):

object (the focus of cognitions or feelings)

Derivation:

antipathetic (characterized by antagonism or antipathy)

antipathetic ((usually followed by 'to') strongly opposed)

 Context examples 

John had not much affection for his mother and sisters, and an antipathy to me.

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)

Besides, there was his old antipathy to being touched.

(White Fang, by Jack London)

Though I don't know that it's much of a peculiarity, either; for he has been ill-used enough, by some that bear it, to have a mortal antipathy for it, Heaven knows.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

Upon the whole, I never beheld, in all my travels, so disagreeable an animal, or one against which I naturally conceived so strong an antipathy.

(Gulliver's Travels into several remote nations of the world, by Jonathan Swift)

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.

(Frankenstein, by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley)

There is an antipathy between us— “An old one, I believe?” said I, interrupting him.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

"Sir," I interrupted him, "you are inexorable for that unfortunate lady: you speak of her with hate—with vindictive antipathy. It is cruel—she cannot help being mad."

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)

In gratitude to the captain, I sometimes sat with him, at his earnest request, and strove to conceal my antipathy against human kind, although it often broke out; which he suffered to pass without observation.

(Gulliver's Travels into several remote nations of the world, by Jonathan Swift)

But unimpressionable natures are not so soon softened, nor are natural antipathies so readily eradicated.

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)

So that, supposing us to have the gift of reason, he could not see how it were possible to cure that natural antipathy, which every creature discovered against us; nor consequently how we could tame and render them serviceable.

(Gulliver's Travels into several remote nations of the world, by Jonathan Swift)