antipathy
An antipathy is a strong dislike or aversion to something or someone. You might feel an antipathy towards spiders because of their creepy appearance.
When people talk about having an antipathy towards something, they usually mean that it's not just a mild annoyance but a deep-seated feeling of distaste or even hatred. This can be anything from a certain food (like Brussels sprouts!) to a particular activity (like skydiving) or even another person. You might hear someone say "I have an antipathy towards crowded places" and mean that they truly hate being in the midst of a bustling city.
It's worth noting that antipathy is often used to describe feelings that are strong but not necessarily irrational. It's different from hatred, which can be a more intense and all-consuming emotion.
How common is "antipathy"?
It has a balanced usage among all categories: speech, fiction, newspapers and academic texts.
noun
(uncountable) 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.
Real examples of "antipathy" in context
