Sympathize: meaning, definitions and examples

Use when you want to express that you share someone's feelings, typically sorrow or trouble. It implies a general sense of understanding and sharing in the feelings but without necessarily experiencing the same thing.

• I sympathize with your situation; it must be really hard for you
• She sympathized with him after he lost his job

Use when you want to express that you deeply understand someone’s feelings from their perspective, often because you have experienced something similar. Empathize implies a personal connection and a deeper level of understanding.

• Having gone through a similar loss, I can really empathize with what you're feeling
• She could empathize with her students' stress during exams because she had been there herself

Use in situations where you want to express sorrow or compassion alongside someone, often face-to-face. It carries a stronger sense of shared sadness or distress.

• After the meeting, he went to commiserate with his friend over a cup of coffee
• We can commiserate about our long working hours together

Use when you feel sorrow or compassion for someone else's misfortune. It can sometimes carry a condescending undertone, suggesting that you see the person as less fortunate or weaker.

• I pity the stray animals that have to survive in such harsh conditions
• He pitied his neighbor who had lost everything in the fire