sympathy

noun

ˈsim-pə-thē How to pronounce sympathy (audio)
Definition of sympathynext
1
as in compassion
sorrow or the capacity to feel sorrow for another's suffering or misfortune since losing her own brother to lung disease, the nurse has had greater sympathy for families going through the same agony

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in kindness
the capacity for feeling for another's unhappiness or misfortune the least you could do is have some sympathy for me if I have to stay home

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun sympathy differ from other similar words?

The words affinity and attraction are common synonyms of sympathy. While all three words mean "the relationship existing between things or persons that are naturally or involuntarily drawn together," sympathy implies a reciprocal or natural relation between two things that are both susceptible to the same influence.

two minds in sympathy

When might affinity be a better fit than sympathy?

The meanings of affinity and sympathy largely overlap; however, affinity implies a susceptibility or predisposition on the part of the one drawn.

an affinity for mathematics

When is attraction a more appropriate choice than sympathy?

In some situations, the words attraction and sympathy are roughly equivalent. However, attraction implies the possession by one thing of a quality that pulls another to it.

felt an attraction to danger

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of sympathy American sympathy for Israelis has dropped to its lowest level in 25 years, while sympathy for Palestinians now stands at a record high, according to new polling. — Brendan Rascius, Miami Herald, 7 Mar. 2025 Is his reality show just a veiled attempt to create sympathy for himself with a future jury pool in our civil case? — Elizabeth Stanton, Fox News, 6 Mar. 2025 The family released a statement thanking the community for prayers and support, while offering their sympathy to the family of the other victim allegedly shot by Manning, identified as Katherine Bjorklund, 33. — Pj Green, Kansas City Star, 4 Mar. 2025 Still, this adaptation of an O. Henry story tilts all its sympathies toward the outlaw hero the Cisco Kid (Warner Baxter, in a Best Actor–winning role) and away from the pompous white soldier charged with tracking him down. — Keith Phipps, Vulture, 3 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for sympathy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sympathy
  1. compassion
  2. kindness
  3. empathy
  4. heart
  5. pity
Noun
  • And this week, Gordon added the Ed Block Courage Award to his resume, recognized by teammates for his courage, compassion, commitment and community service.
    — Dan Wiederer, Chicago Tribune, 14 Mar. 2025
  • As recent entries in the subgenre have proven, there’s plenty of compassion to be squeezed from the slasher genre as well.
    — Richard Newby, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 Mar. 2025
Definition of compassion
Noun
  • Those include bullying, friendship, school, kindness/empathy, self-worth/confidence, and mental health/well-being.
    — Liz Regalia, Parents, 20 Mar. 2025
  • The capital city of the world’s happiest country exemplifies what makes Finland such an ideal spot for happiness—not just focusing on health or wealth alone, Helsinki places emphasis on things like community, kindness, trust in society, and easy access to nature and green spaces.
    — Kaitlyn McInnis, Forbes, 20 Mar. 2025
Definition of kindness
Noun
  • Noah Davis’s premature death in 2015, at just 32, deprived the world of a singular talent whose work combined technical mastery with a profound empathy for everyday life.
    — Nargess Banks, Forbes, 23 Mar. 2025
  • Humanitarian aid is based on empathy and the recognition that everyone has a right to live with dignity.
    — Chen Reis, The Conversation, 21 Mar. 2025
Definition of empathy
Noun
  • Increasing your water intake can benefit overall health, including the health of your kidneys, brain, and heart.
    — Jillian Kubala, Health, 18 Mar. 2025
  • And for me, to be on the cover of Vogue Philippines, for my first Vogue cover, is so special and will forever just hold the most special place in my heart.
    — Kleigh Balugo, StyleCaster, 18 Mar. 2025
Definition of heart
Noun
  • Which is a pity, because the pedigree looks great on paper.
    — David Fear, Rolling Stone, 14 Mar. 2025
  • Here’s what autism isn’t, Gross says – something to be scared of or pity.
    — Clare Mulroy, USA TODAY, 5 Mar. 2025
Definition of pity

Browse Nearby Words

sympathizing (with)
sympathy
sympathy strike
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Sympathy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sympathy. Accessed 27 Mar. 2025.

Copy Citation

Share

More from Merriam-Webster on sympathy

Nglish: Translation of sympathy for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Words You Always Have to Look Up

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Top 10 Sophisticated Insults

Flower Etymologies For Your Spring Garden

More Words with Remarkable Origins

Terroir, Oenophile, & Magnum: Ten Words About Wine

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Top 10 Sophisticated Insults

Flower Etymologies For Your Spring Garden
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
dog-in-disguise
Rhyme Disguise Quiz Pair up words that look different but sound alike.
See All