What does "sympathize" mean?
To have, show or express sympathy; to be affected by feelings similar to those of another, in consequence of knowing the person to be thus affected
Sympathize
verb
verb ·3 syllables ·Moderate ·College level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: To have, show or express sympathy; to be affected by feelings similar to those of another, in consequence of knowing the person to be thus affected
- Grammar: sympathize is listed as verb.
- Nearest alternatives: commiserate, empathize, accord, agree.
- Useful contrasts: gloat, gloating, disregard.
- Usage evidence: It is easier to sympathize with sorrow than to sympathize with joy.
How to use "sympathize"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "sympathize" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "sympathize" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "sympathize" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "sympathize" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "sympathize" is acting as verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "commiserate" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "sympathize", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Verb
- 1 To have, show or express sympathy; to be affected by feelings similar to those of another, in consequence of knowing the person to be thus affected Canada, US, intransitive
"[…] the Authors having chosen for their Heroes Persons who were so nearly related to the People for whom they wrote. Achilles was a Greek, and Aeneas the remote Founder of Rome. By this Means their Countrymen (whom they principally proposed to themselves for their Readers) were particularly attentive to all the Parts of their Story, and sympathized with their Heroes in all their Adventures."
- 2 be understanding of wordnet
- 3 To support, favour, have sympathy (with a political cause or movement, a side in a conflict / in an action). Canada, US, intransitive
"‘[…] who is to hunt up my witnesses? All of them are sailors, drafted off to other ships, except those whose evidence would go for very little, as they took part, or sympathised in the affair. […]’"
- 4 to feel or express sympathy or compassion wordnet
- 5 To say in an expression of sympathy. Canada, US, transitive
"“How much he slapped my sons—you should see their swollen faces, Panditji,” said Dukhi. […] “Poor children,” sympathized Pandit Lallaram."
Show 4 more definitions
- 6 share the feelings of; understand the sentiments of wordnet
- 7 To have a common feeling, as of bodily pleasure or pain. Canada, US, intransitive
"[…] the mind will sympathize so much with the anguish and debility of the body, that it will be […] too distracted to fix itself in meditation."
- 8 To share (a feeling or experience). Canada, US, obsolete, transitive
"And all that are assembled in this place, That by this sympathized one day’s error Have suffer’d wrong, go keep us company, And we shall make full satisfaction."
- 9 To agree; to be in accord; to harmonize. Canada, US, intransitive
"Henry V. The southern wind Doth play the trumpet to his purposes, And by his hollow whistling in the leaves Foretells a tempest and a blustering day. Henry IV. Then with the losers let it sympathize, For nothing can seem foul to those that win."
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"It is easier to sympathize with sorrow than to sympathize with joy."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "sympathize"?
Common synonyms include: commiserate, empathize, accord, agree, agree with, bleed.
How do you use "sympathize" in a sentence?
It is easier to sympathize with sorrow than to sympathize with joy.
Etymology
Borrowed from French sympathiser. By surface analysis, sympathy + -ize. Displaced native Old English efnþrōwian (literally “to suffer with or together”).