What does "sympathy" mean?
A feeling of pity or sorrow for the suffering or distress of another.
Sympathy
/ˈsɪm.pəθ.i/ noun
noun ·Common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A feeling of pity or sorrow for the suffering or distress of another.
- Grammar: sympathy is listed as noun.
- Nearest alternatives: understanding, abetment, accord, accordance.
- Useful contrasts: antipathies, antipathy, apathy.
- Usage evidence: I feel profound sympathy for the victims.
How to use "sympathy"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "sympathy" 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 "sympathy" 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 "sympathy" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "sympathy" 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 "sympathy" is acting as noun 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 "understanding" 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.
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Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "sympathy", 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
Noun
- 1 A feeling of pity or sorrow for the suffering or distress of another. countable, uncountable
"If you want sympathy you’ll find it in the dictionary between shit and syphilis. Sympathy may pay well in the short term, but if you cash in on sympathy, it will take everything from you in the long run."
- 2 an inclination to support or be loyal to or to agree with an opinion wordnet
- 3 A feeling of pity or sorrow for the suffering or distress of another.; The formal expression of pity or sorrow for someone else's misfortune. countable, in-plural, uncountable
"While you'll probably have her sympathies if your condominium association wants to preapprove your storm door, you'll need to work harder for her support if your boss at the music megastore demands you grow a goatee to help lend the place some indie cred."
- 4 sharing the feelings of others (especially feelings of sorrow or anguish) wordnet
- 5 A feeling of pity or sorrow for the suffering or distress of another.; The ability to share the feelings of another. countable, uncountable
Show 7 more definitions
- 6 a relation of affinity or harmony between people; whatever affects one correspondingly affects the other wordnet
- 7 Inclination to think or feel alike; emotional or intellectual accord; common feeling. countable, uncountable
"Oh vvhat a ſimpathie of vvoe is this, / As farre from helpe, as Lymbo is from bliſſe."
- 8 Inclination to think or feel alike; emotional or intellectual accord; common feeling.; Support in the form of shared feelings or opinions. countable, in-plural, uncountable
- 9 Inclination to think or feel alike; emotional or intellectual accord; common feeling.; Feeling of loyalty; tendency towards, agreement with or approval of an opinion or aim; a favorable attitude. countable, uncountable
"Many people in Hollywood were blacklisted merely because they were suspected of Communist sympathies."
- 10 An affinity, association or mutual relationship between people or things such that they are correspondingly affected by any condition. countable, uncountable
"He observed, also, the frequent sympathy of volcanic and terremotive action in remote districts of the earth's surface, thus showing how deeply seated must be the cause of these convulsions."
- 11 An affinity, association or mutual relationship between people or things such that they are correspondingly affected by any condition.; Mutual or parallel susceptibility or a condition brought about by it. countable, uncountable
- 12 An affinity, association or mutual relationship between people or things such that they are correspondingly affected by any condition.; Artistic harmony, as of shape or colour in a painting. countable, uncountable
Antonyms
Example
"I feel profound sympathy for the victims."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "sympathy"?
Common synonyms include: understanding, abetment, accord, accordance, addition, adduction.
How do you use "sympathy" in a sentence?
I feel profound sympathy for the victims.
How do you pronounce "sympathy"?
Pronounced /ˈsɪm.pəθ.i/.
Etymology
Borrowed from Middle French sympathie, from Late Latin sympathīa (“feeling in common”), from Ancient Greek σῠμπᾰ́θειᾰ (sŭmpắtheiă, “fellow feeling”), from σῠμπᾰθής (sŭmpăthḗs, “affected by like feelings; exerting mutual influence, interacting”) + -ῐᾰ (-ĭă, “-y”, nominal suffix). Equivalent to sym- (“acting or considered together”) + -pathy (“feeling”).