sympathize

[ sim-puh-thahyz ]

verb (used without object)

, sym·pa·thized, sym·pa·thiz·ing.

1. to be in sympathy or agreement of feeling; share in a feeling (often followed by with ).
2. to feel a compassionate sympathy, as for suffering or trouble (often followed by with ).
3. to express sympathy or condole (often followed by with ).
4. to be in approving accord, as with a person or cause:

   to sympathize with a person's aims.

   Synonyms: support, back, favor, approve, understand

5. to agree, correspond, or accord.

sympathize

/ ˈsɪmpəˌθaɪz /

verb

1. to feel or express compassion or sympathy (for); commiserate

   he sympathized with my troubles

2. to share or understand the sentiments or ideas (of); be in sympathy (with)

Derived Forms

• ˈsympaˌthizer, noun

Other Words From

• sympa·thizing·ly adverb
• non·sympa·thizing adjective
• non·sympa·thizing·ly adverb
• pre·sympa·thize verb (used without object) presympathized presympathizing
• un·sympa·thized adjective
• un·sympa·thizing adjective
• un·sympa·thizing·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of sympathize¹

First recorded in 1580–90; from Middle French sympathiser; from sympath(ie) sympathy + -iser -ize

Example Sentences

But watching the scripted Netflix series also caused her to sympathize with the brothers’ experiences of alleged abuse under their father.

From Los Angeles Times

Asked whether Trump had the ability to sympathize with others, Kelly had a simple answer: "No."

From Salon

It’s far easier to sympathize with migrants when they’re your friends or cousins or from the same region as you.

From Los Angeles Times

Her manipulations are supposed to make the audience sympathize with Arthur's pain and humanize him.

From Salon

"Something about Bowen being the one to voice this joke despite his interview with Chappell sympathizing with her concerns less than a month ago makes me sad," one person wrote in a post to X.

From Salon

Related Words

• commiserate
• comprehend

More About Sympathize

What does sympathize mean?

To sympathize with someone is to feel sympathy for them—to share their emotions, especially sadness.

This is usually understood to mean that you feel bad for them because they are in a negative situation.

The word sympathize can also mean to offer one’s sympathies or condolences, such as to someone who is in mourning.

Sympathize also sometimes means to be supportive of or loyal to someone or something, such as a leader or cause, as in Many working class voters sympathize with the senator’s platform. The word sympathizer is especially used to refer to someone who sympathizes in this way.

Someone who sympathizes can be described as sympathetic. Sympathetic can also be used to describe someone who causes you to sympathize with them.

Some people use the word sympathize interchangeably or in overlapping ways with the word empathize, which means to have empathy—to imagine or try to deeply understand what someone is feeling or what it’s like to be in their situation. However, others distinguish the two terms by emphasizing the importance of empathizing with others (feeling their pain) as opposed to sympathizing with them (feeling sorry for them).

Example: I’ve experienced the same thing, so I can sympathize.

Where does sympathize come from?

The first records of the word sympathize come from the late 1500s. Its base word, sympathy, comes from the Greek sympátheia, from sym-, “with,” and páth(os), “suffering.” The ending -ize is used to make verbs.

While sympathizing with someone often means pitying them or feeling bad for them, empathizing is feeling or attempting to feel and understand exactly how a person feels and what it’s like to be them. When you empathize with someone, you identify with them—as if you were them.

When you sympathize with a public figure or a fictional character, it means you identify with them and care about what happens to them. Such a person can be called a sympathetic figure or a sympathetic character.

When you sympathize with a movement, you can be called a sympathizer. This is often used in a negative way to criticize such support. This is the way the word is used in the phrase Communist sympathizer.

Did you know ... ?

What are some other forms related to sympathize?

• sympathizingly (adverb)
• sympathy (noun)

What are some synonyms for sympathize?

• commiserate
• understand
• support
• approve
• favor

What are some words that share a root or word element with sympathize? 

• sympathetic
• pathos
• pathetic
• apathy
• symmetry

What are some words that often get used in discussing sympathize?

• compassion
• pity
• feel
• feeling
• emotion
• care
• kindness
• condolence
• victim

What are some words sympathize may be commonly confused with?

• empathize

How is sympathize used in real life?

Sympathize is often used in contexts involving the suffering and grief of others.

Of the many deeply embarrassing and shameful attitudes expressed in this story, one thing jumps out: the same companies that claim to stand for “community” and “the global public square” are filled with people who can’t sympathize with their own colleagues https://t.co/dGmf5uVCVz

— Hamza Shaban (@hshaban) September 5, 2020

more frequently than ever I find myself sympathizing with writers who did a tremendous job of telling a nuanced story of some kind, only to have it reduced to clickbait (the only thing many even read). And it’s getting exponentially worse. Anyway, thank you for your answer. 🙏

— Morgan Murphy (@morgan_murphy) September 13, 2018

I tend to sympathize with villains after reading their backstory. But lol Shigaraki is beyond saving 😂🤷🏻‍♀️

— Kir @ FENIX IS HOME (@teteeren) July 26, 2019

 

 

Try using sympathize!

Which of the following words is NOT a synonym of sympathize?

A. commiserate
B. support
C. ignore
D. approve