Closest matches in this entry: understanding, abetment, accord, accordance, addition.
Sentence evidence is available for sympathy, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
Ranking signals come from wordnet, opengloss, moby, derived_reverse, and related lexical sources.

Synonym selection checklist

Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "sympathy".
Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.

When not to replace "sympathy"

Keep "sympathy" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.

If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.

Replacement workflow

1. Preserve meaning

Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "sympathy" intact in the sentence you are editing.

2. Tune tone

Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.

3. Re-read context

Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.

Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.

Final fit check

After choosing a replacement for "sympathy", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.

If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "sympathy" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.

Related word relations

OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.

5 relation types

More general

13 entries

affect affinity attitude disposition emotionemotional connectionfeeling inclination kinship stance support tendency understanding

More specific

9 entries

backing compassionempathic understandingendorsementlike mindednessmercymoral supportpityshared sentiment

Collocations

6 entries

common sympathydisplay of sympathymutual sympathypublic sympathyshared sympathysincere sympathy

Inflections

1 entries

sympathies

Derivations

8 entries

sympathetic sympathetically sympatheticness sympathize sympathized sympathizer sympathizers sympathizing

Translations

92 translations across 48 languages.

Ancient Greek

1 entries

συμπάθεια noun (feeling of pity or sorrow for the suffering or distress of another — see also compassion)

Arabic

3 entries

تَعَاطُف noun (feeling of pity or sorrow for the suffering or distress of another — see also compassion)
حُنُو noun (feeling of pity or sorrow for the suffering or distress of another — see also compassion)
عَطْف noun (feeling of pity or sorrow for the suffering or distress of another — see also compassion)

Armenian

1 entries

համակրանք noun (feeling of pity or sorrow for the suffering or distress of another — see also compassion)

Bulgarian

3 entries

взаимно разбиране noun (mutual relationship)
състрадание noun (feeling of pity or sorrow for the suffering or distress of another — see also compassion)
съчувствие noun (feeling of pity or sorrow for the suffering or distress of another — see also compassion)

Catalan

2 entries

compassió noun (feeling of pity or sorrow for the suffering or distress of another — see also compassion)
simpatia noun (mutual relationship)

Chinese Mandarin

2 entries

同情 noun (feeling of pity or sorrow for the suffering or distress of another — see also compassion)
同感 noun (feeling of pity or sorrow for the suffering or distress of another — see also compassion)

Czech

2 entries

soucit noun (feeling of pity or sorrow for the suffering or distress of another — see also compassion)
soustrast noun (feeling of pity or sorrow for the suffering or distress of another — see also compassion)

Danish

3 entries

deltagelse noun (feeling of pity or sorrow for the suffering or distress of another — see also compassion)
medfølelse noun (feeling of pity or sorrow for the suffering or distress of another — see also compassion)
sympati noun (feeling of pity or sorrow for the suffering or distress of another — see also compassion)

Dutch

2 entries

medelijden noun (feeling of pity or sorrow for the suffering or distress of another — see also compassion)
sympathie noun (feeling of pity or sorrow for the suffering or distress of another — see also compassion)

Esperanto

1 entries

kunsento noun (feeling of pity or sorrow for the suffering or distress of another — see also compassion)

Faroese

1 entries

samkensla noun (feeling of pity or sorrow for the suffering or distress of another — see also compassion)

Finnish

3 entries

myötätunto noun (feeling of pity or sorrow for the suffering or distress of another — see also compassion)
osanotto noun (feeling of pity or sorrow for the suffering or distress of another — see also compassion)
sympatia noun (feeling of pity or sorrow for the suffering or distress of another — see also compassion)

French

4 entries

compassion noun (feeling of pity or sorrow for the suffering or distress of another — see also compassion)
condoléance noun (feeling of pity or sorrow for the suffering or distress of another — see also compassion)
sympathie noun (feeling of pity or sorrow for the suffering or distress of another — see also compassion)
sympathie noun (mutual relationship)

German

3 entries

Mitgefühl noun (feeling of pity or sorrow for the suffering or distress of another — see also compassion)
Mitleid noun (feeling of pity or sorrow for the suffering or distress of another — see also compassion)
Sympathie noun (mutual relationship)

Greek

1 entries

συμπάθεια noun (feeling of pity or sorrow for the suffering or distress of another — see also compassion)

Hebrew

1 entries

אהדה noun (feeling of pity or sorrow for the suffering or distress of another — see also compassion)

Hindi

2 entries

संवेदना noun (feeling of pity or sorrow for the suffering or distress of another — see also compassion)
सहानुभूति noun (feeling of pity or sorrow for the suffering or distress of another — see also compassion)

Hungarian

4 entries

[1-2] együttérzés noun (feeling of pity or sorrow for the suffering or distress of another — see also compassion)
[4] rokonszenv noun (feeling of pity or sorrow for the suffering or distress of another — see also compassion)
rokonszenv noun (mutual relationship)
részvét noun (feeling of pity or sorrow for the suffering or distress of another — see also compassion)

Icelandic

2 entries

samhygð noun (feeling of pity or sorrow for the suffering or distress of another — see also compassion)
samúð noun (feeling of pity or sorrow for the suffering or distress of another — see also compassion)

Ido

3 entries

afineso noun (mutual relationship)
kompato noun (feeling of pity or sorrow for the suffering or distress of another — see also compassion)
simpatio noun (feeling of pity or sorrow for the suffering or distress of another — see also compassion)

Indonesian

1 entries

simpati noun (feeling of pity or sorrow for the suffering or distress of another — see also compassion)

Interlingua

1 entries

compassion noun (feeling of pity or sorrow for the suffering or distress of another — see also compassion)

Irish

2 entries

bá noun (mutual relationship)
dáimh noun (mutual relationship)

Italian

1 entries

compassione noun (feeling of pity or sorrow for the suffering or distress of another — see also compassion)

Japanese

1 entries

同情 noun (feeling of pity or sorrow for the suffering or distress of another — see also compassion)

Latin

1 entries

compassio noun (feeling of pity or sorrow for the suffering or distress of another — see also compassion)

Malay

1 entries

timbang rasa noun (feeling of pity or sorrow for the suffering or distress of another — see also compassion)

Malayalam

1 entries

സഹതാപം noun (feeling of pity or sorrow for the suffering or distress of another — see also compassion)

Manx

3 entries

co-choe noun (feeling of pity or sorrow for the suffering or distress of another — see also compassion)
co-ennaghtyn noun (feeling of pity or sorrow for the suffering or distress of another — see also compassion)
erreeish noun (feeling of pity or sorrow for the suffering or distress of another — see also compassion)

Māori

1 entries

pukuaroha noun (feeling of pity or sorrow for the suffering or distress of another — see also compassion)

Norwegian Bokmål

3 entries

medfølelse noun (feeling of pity or sorrow for the suffering or distress of another — see also compassion)
medlidenhet noun (feeling of pity or sorrow for the suffering or distress of another — see also compassion)
sympati noun (feeling of pity or sorrow for the suffering or distress of another — see also compassion)

Norwegian Nynorsk

3 entries

medkjensle noun (feeling of pity or sorrow for the suffering or distress of another — see also compassion)
medynk noun (feeling of pity or sorrow for the suffering or distress of another — see also compassion)
sympati noun (feeling of pity or sorrow for the suffering or distress of another — see also compassion)

Old English

1 entries

efnþrōwung noun (feeling of pity or sorrow for the suffering or distress of another — see also compassion)

Plautdietsch

1 entries

Metfeelen noun (feeling of pity or sorrow for the suffering or distress of another — see also compassion)

Polish

2 entries

sympatia noun (mutual relationship)
współczucie noun (feeling of pity or sorrow for the suffering or distress of another — see also compassion)

Portuguese

2 entries

afinidade noun (mutual relationship)
compaixão noun (feeling of pity or sorrow for the suffering or distress of another — see also compassion)

Romanian

3 entries

compasiune noun (feeling of pity or sorrow for the suffering or distress of another — see also compassion)
compătimire noun (feeling of pity or sorrow for the suffering or distress of another — see also compassion)
simpatie noun (feeling of pity or sorrow for the suffering or distress of another — see also compassion)

Russian

3 entries

симпа́тия noun (mutual relationship)
сострада́ние noun (feeling of pity or sorrow for the suffering or distress of another — see also compassion)
сочу́вствие noun (feeling of pity or sorrow for the suffering or distress of another — see also compassion)

Sanskrit

1 entries

दया noun (feeling of pity or sorrow for the suffering or distress of another — see also compassion)

Serbo-Croatian

4 entries

saosećaj noun (feeling of pity or sorrow for the suffering or distress of another — see also compassion)
suosjećaj noun (feeling of pity or sorrow for the suffering or distress of another — see also compassion)
саосећај noun (feeling of pity or sorrow for the suffering or distress of another — see also compassion)
суосјећај noun (feeling of pity or sorrow for the suffering or distress of another — see also compassion)

Spanish

2 entries

afinidad noun (mutual relationship)
compasión noun (feeling of pity or sorrow for the suffering or distress of another — see also compassion)

Swahili

1 entries

juruma noun (feeling of pity or sorrow for the suffering or distress of another — see also compassion)

Swedish

3 entries

deltagande noun (feeling of pity or sorrow for the suffering or distress of another — see also compassion)
medkänsla noun (feeling of pity or sorrow for the suffering or distress of another — see also compassion)
sympati noun (feeling of pity or sorrow for the suffering or distress of another — see also compassion)

Tagalog

2 entries

awa noun (feeling of pity or sorrow for the suffering or distress of another — see also compassion)
simpatya noun (feeling of pity or sorrow for the suffering or distress of another — see also compassion)

Turkish

1 entries

sempati noun (feeling of pity or sorrow for the suffering or distress of another — see also compassion)

Ukrainian

1 entries

співчуття́ noun (feeling of pity or sorrow for the suffering or distress of another — see also compassion)

Vietnamese

1 entries

thương cảm noun (feeling of pity or sorrow for the suffering or distress of another — see also compassion)

Welsh

1 entries

cydymdeimlad noun (feeling of pity or sorrow for the suffering or distress of another — see also compassion)

Sample sentences

19 total sentences available.

Tatoeba + Wiktionary

I feel profound sympathy for the victims.

Source: tatoeba (20047)

When his wife died, he received dozens of letters of sympathy.

Source: tatoeba (25703)

Everybody showed sympathy toward the prisoner.

Source: tatoeba (40373)

The man was devoid of such human feelings as sympathy.

Source: tatoeba (45426)

Showing 4 of 19 available sentences.

Common questions

What are the closest synonyms for "sympathy"?

Closest matches include understanding, abetment, accord, accordance, addition.

How should I check whether a synonym fits "sympathy"?

Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.

More for "sympathy"

Meaning

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