sympathetic

[ sim-puh-thet-ik ]
See synonyms for: sympatheticsympathetically on Thesaurus.com

adjective
  1. characterized by, proceeding from, exhibiting, or feeling sympathy; sympathizing; compassionate: a sympathetic listener.

  2. acting or affected by, of the nature of, or pertaining to a special affinity or mutual relationship; congenial: With their many similar tastes, he found her a most sympathetic companion.

  1. looking upon with favor (often followed by to or toward): She is sympathetic to the project.

  2. Anatomy, Physiology.

    • pertaining to that part of the autonomic nervous system consisting of nerves that arise from the thoracic and lumbar regions of the spinal cord, and functioning in opposition to the parasympathetic system, as in stimulating heartbeat, dilating the pupil of the eye, etc.

    • Obsolete. pertaining to the autonomic nervous system in its entirety.

  3. Physics. noting or pertaining to vibrations, sounds, etc., produced by a body as the direct result of similar vibrations in a different body.

Origin of sympathetic

1
First recorded in 1635–45; from New Latin sympathēticus, from Greek sympathētikós; equivalent to sym- + pathetic

Other words for sympathetic

Opposites for sympathetic

Other words from sympathetic

  • sym·pa·thet·i·cal·ly, adverb
  • non·sym·pa·thet·ic, adjective
  • non·sym·pa·thet·i·cal·ly, adverb
  • qua·si-sym·pa·thet·ic, adjective
  • qua·si-sym·pa·thet·i·cal·ly, adverb
  • su·per·sym·pa·thet·ic, adjective
  • un·sym·pa·thet·ic, adjective
  • un·sym·pa·thet·i·cal·ly, adverb

Words that may be confused with sympathetic

Words Nearby sympathetic

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use sympathetic in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for sympathetic

sympathetic

/ (ˌsɪmpəˈθɛtɪk) /


adjective
  1. characterized by, feeling, or showing sympathy; understanding

  2. in accord with the subject's personality or mood; congenial: a sympathetic atmosphere

  1. (when postpositive, often foll by to or towards) showing agreement (with) or favour (towards): sympathetic to the proposals

  2. anatomy physiol of or relating to the division of the autonomic nervous system that acts in opposition to the parasympathetic system accelerating the heartbeat, dilating the bronchi, inhibiting the smooth muscles of the digestive tract, etc: Compare parasympathetic

  3. relating to vibrations occurring as a result of similar vibrations in a neighbouring body: sympathetic strings on a sitar

Derived forms of sympathetic

  • sympathetically, adverb

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012