Sympathetic: meaning, definitions and examples

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sympathetic

 

[ ˌsɪm.pəˈθet.ɪk ]

Adjective
Context #1 | Adjective

empathy

Feeling or showing concern and understanding for others' emotions and situations.

Synonyms

compassionate, empathetic, understanding

Examples of usage

  • He was always sympathetic towards his friends when they were going through tough times.
  • She offered a sympathetic ear to anyone who needed to talk about their problems.
Context #2 | Adjective

medical

Relating to or characterized by sympathy or understanding of another's suffering or feelings.

Synonyms

compassionate, kind, supportive

Examples of usage

  • The doctor was very sympathetic towards the patient's pain and discomfort.
  • Her sympathetic response to the grieving family was deeply appreciated.

Translations

Translations of the word "sympathetic" in other languages:

🇵🇹 simpático

🇮🇳 सहानुभूतिशील

🇩🇪 mitfühlend

🇮🇩 simpati

🇺🇦 співчутливий

🇵🇱 współczujący

🇯🇵 同情的な (dōjō-teki na)

🇫🇷 sympathique

🇪🇸 simpático

🇹🇷 sempatik

🇰🇷 동정심 많은 (dongjeongsim manh-eun)

🇸🇦 متعاطف

🇨🇿 soucitný

🇸🇰 súcitný

🇨🇳 同情的 (tóngqíng de)

🇸🇮 sočuten

🇮🇸 samúðarfullur

🇰🇿 жанашыр

🇬🇪 თანამგრძნობი

🇦🇿 şəfqətli

🇲🇽 simpático

Etymology

The word 'sympathetic' originated from the Greek word 'sympathetikos', meaning 'having a fellow feeling'. It first appeared in English in the 17th century, initially used in the context of physical sympathy. Over time, its meaning expanded to include emotional understanding and compassion. Today, 'sympathetic' is widely used in various contexts to describe empathy and support towards others.

Word Frequency Rank

At #5,199 in frequency, this word belongs to advanced vocabulary. It's less common than core vocabulary but important for sophisticated expression.