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sympathize
[ sim-puh-thahyz ]
verb (used without object)
- to be in sympathy or agreement of feeling; share in a feeling (often followed by with ).
- to feel a compassionate sympathy, as for suffering or trouble (often followed by with ).
- to express sympathy or condole (often followed by with ).
- to be in approving accord, as with a person or cause:
to sympathize with a person's aims.
Synonyms: support, back, favor, approve, understand
- to agree, correspond, or accord.
sympathize
/ ˈsɪmpəˌθaɪz /
verb
- to feel or express compassion or sympathy (for); commiserate
he sympathized with my troubles
- to share or understand the sentiments or ideas (of); be in sympathy (with)
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Derived Forms
- ˈsympaˌthizer, noun
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Other Words From
- sympa·thizing·ly adverb
- non·sympa·thizing adjective
- non·sympa·thizing·ly adverb
- pre·sympa·thize verb (used without object) presympathized presympathizing
- un·sympa·thized adjective
- un·sympa·thizing adjective
- un·sympa·thizing·ly adverb
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Word History and Origins
Origin of sympathize1
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Example Sentences
Legion is a more effective character than Edi despite the two serving the same emotional function, and it’s because he takes the exact opposite approach to get players to sympathize with him.
Sure, some find it hard to sympathize with “influencers” who profit from posting Instagram pics or TikTok videos.
Idolizing superheroes is no longer anything special, which may be why it now seems more sophisticated to sympathize with the villains—even if that means reading depth into these backstories that isn’t really there.
The KGB recruited sympathetic journalists, funded publications that were mere fronts for Soviet-sympathizing propaganda and, at the height of the Cold War, employed 496,000 members around the world, if Soviet defector Oleg Kalugin’s memoir is true.
You write about having this impulse to understand and even sympathize with an abuser.
I get it and sympathize with them and try to be there for the fans.
Nowadays, however, even those who sympathize with Palestinian grievances steer clear of the more inflamed areas.
Do you think, then, that the key is not to have the audience sympathize with, but rather to understand him?
We all yearn for some sort of control over our fate and our lives, and we can all sympathize with that.
There is no one to sympathize for their war trauma and most would like nothing more than to forget.
She knew that she alone of all human beings was gifted with the power to understand and fully sympathize with him.
In paying your visits of condolence, show, by your own quiet gravity, that you sympathize in the recent affliction of your friend.
You cannot understand the terrible feeling towards all Yankees and those who sympathize with them.
I do not know how to sympathize with any thing that is not straightforward and true, and your course is rather zigzag.
I often used to think she must feel very solitary at Craddock, with not a soul to sympathize with her tastes.
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Related Words
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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?
What are some words that share a root or word element with sympathize?
What are some words that often get used in discussing sympathize?
What are some words sympathize may be commonly confused with?
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
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