empath

[em-path]

noun

1. a person who has a particular tendency or ability to enter into or psychologically identify with the emotions, thoughts, or attitudes of others.

   If you feel you need to avoid negative news stories to protect your emotions, you might be an empath.

Word History and Origins

Origin of empath¹

First recorded in 1955–60; back formation from empathy ( def. )

Example Sentences

McKinnon’s Amy toggles through obnoxious progressive stereotypes: She’s a self-professed empath who pretends to be in an open marriage to wheedle Theo into bed.

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Confronting her audience, she scolded: "I'll tell you something about my good name / It's mine alone to disgrace / I don't cater to all these vipers dressed in empath's clothing."

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This bohemian is as shallow as they come, fretting that the stress is giving her alopecia and suggesting her professional empath for guidance.

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Jane, not her real name, believes Goodwin was quick to identify an empath who would do everything to help him if they believed his mental health was in crisis.

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As the four of them drive between cheap California motels, a familial dynamic emerges: Aden, who once severed a victim’s penis, is the irritable patriarch; Eddie, a 20-year-old gang murderer, is the impulsive child; and Tay, a sensitive man caught up in the drug trade, is the nurturing empath with a surprising gift for psychology.

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