These words are alike in pointing to a negative emotional response of someone or something. Dislike , the most general of these words, has a wide variety of applications and can be substituted in most contexts for any of the other words here considered. It can be applied to both people and things: a dislike of crowds; His dislike for his work was matched by his enjoyment of his salary.

Distaste implies a mild dislike usually stemming from temperamental or constitutional inclination. It suggests, not always accurately, that one’s taste or aesthetic sensibility has been offended by exposure to something: a distaste for controversy; a distaste for broad hats. Apart from intentionally jocular or comical contexts, distaste almost always describes things rather than people. It is commonly used with for .

Aversion is disli ke that impels one to take steps to avoid the thing that offends; like distaste , it usually applies to things or animals rather than people. In formal contexts it more often suggests strong dislike amounting to a virtually uncontrollable desire to avoid: aversion to snakes; an aversion to bloodshed. In less formal context, however, it often applies to mildly irritating things: an aversion to sweet wine. Aversion is commonly used with to .

Antipathy , whose etymological meaning is to feel against, refers to an instinctive dislike . An antipathy is not so much irrational as non-rational ?it is simply not thought out, only felt, and may incidentally be quite supportable on rational or ethical grounds: an antipathy to Nazism; a natural antipathy to politicians.