sympathetic
characterized by, proceeding from, exhibiting, or feeling sympathy; sympathizing; compassionate: a sympathetic listener.
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.
looking upon with favor (often followed by to or toward): She is sympathetic to the project.
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.
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
1Other words for sympathetic
1 | commiserating, kind, tender; affectionate |
Opposites for sympathetic
1 | hard, unkind, uncompassionate, unsympathetic |
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
- empathetic, sympathetic , simpatico
Words Nearby sympathetic
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use sympathetic in a sentence
While I was sympathetic, it makes no sense to stick our head in the sand.
Patients are getting infected with covid-19 in the hospital. It happened to one of mine and killed him. | Manoj Jain | January 2, 2021 | Washington PostI completely get it and am sympathetic to my son's position.
Carolyn Hax: He’s a great guy, except for the bigotry | Carolyn Hax | December 11, 2020 | Washington PostBut, Young wanted to post the email in hopes that it would still convince people to shop early, and to be sympathetic about any delays.
DTC brands are preparing for nightmare holiday shipping delays and out of stocks | Anna Hensel | December 4, 2020 | DigidayAn issue I am deeply sympathetic with is that many authors don’t have access to affordable healthcare during this pandemic.
As libraries fight for access to e-books, a new copyright champion emerges | Jeff | November 28, 2020 | FortuneIt’s hard to imagine that Giuliani would similarly have been unable to either convince a Fox News host that his claims were legitimate or otherwise avoid being put in a position of tension with a sympathetic host.
What line did Sidney Powell cross that Rudy Giuliani didn’t? | Philip Bump | November 23, 2020 | Washington Post
At this point, the female rapper comes across as fairly sympathetic—that is, until Azealia Banks grabs the mic.
Solange Smacks Jay Z, Legolas Slaps Bieber, and the Biggest Celebrity Feuds of the Year | Amy Zimmerman | December 24, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTGoebbels, in fact, would be seen as the leader most sympathetic to the modernists.
Top Nazis And Their Complicated Relationship With Artists | William O’Connor | November 30, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTThat is not to say the students who submit to the elitism and racism promoted by the USC Greek system are wholly sympathetic.
Stepford Sororities: The Pressures of USC’s Greek Life | Maya Richard Craven | November 17, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTSome Bush Administration officials were sympathetic , but told them that under existing law it would be very difficult.
He says the owner of the house in which he lives has not been sympathetic to him.
This Man Lost 35 Relatives to Ebola and His Community Wants Him Gone | Wade C.L. Williams | October 30, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTFather, mother, sister, and brother all played and worked together with rare combination of sympathetic gifts.
Kipling Stories and Poems Every Child Should Know, Book II | Rudyard KiplingThe temptation to pour his financial troubles into the sympathetic ears of these two dear women he resisted.
The Joyous Adventures of Aristide Pujol | William J. Locke"And the first thing you did with your liberty was to come to Europe," said Miss Thangue, with a sympathetic smile.
Ancestors | Gertrude AthertonNigel found him an excellent fellow, the most sympathetic and energetic man of Eastern blood whom he had ever encountered.
Bella Donna | Robert HichensIf a merry dance is produced by the agile bow, its sympathetic tones at once excite a corresponding feeling.
Violins and Violin Makers | Joseph Pearce
British Dictionary definitions for sympathetic
/ (ˌsɪmpəˈθɛtɪk) /
characterized by, feeling, or showing sympathy; understanding
in accord with the subject's personality or mood; congenial: a sympathetic atmosphere
(when postpositive, often foll by to or towards) showing agreement (with) or favour (towards): sympathetic to the proposals
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
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
Browse