Synonyms

empathetic

American

[em-puh-thet-ik] / ˌɛm pəˈθɛt ɪk /

Also empathic

adjective

relating to or characterized by empathy, the psychological identification with the emotions, thoughts, or attitudes of others.

One of the great strengths of the school is our sensitive, empathetic counseling staff.

Usage

What does empathetic mean? Empathetic means having or tending to have empathy—the ability or practice of imagining or trying to deeply understand what someone else is feeling or what it’s like to be in their situation.Empathy is often described as the ability to feel what others are feeling as if you are feeling it yourself. To feel empathy for someone is to empathize. People who do this are described as empathetic.Some people use the word empathetic interchangeably or in overlapping ways with the word sympathetic, which generally means sharing or tending to share emotions with someone else, especially sadness. However, others distinguish the two terms by emphasizing the importance of being empathetic toward others (feeling their pain) as opposed to being sympathetic toward them (feeling sorry for them).A less common variant of empathetic is empathic.Example: Having faced many of the same challenges, Nyala is empathetic to the struggles of immigrants.

Other Word Forms

empathetically adverb
empathically adverb
nonempathic adjective

Etymology

Origin of empathetic

First recorded in 1930–35; empath(y) + -etic

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Sources close to Rosenior also believe he has a more empathetic tone of communication - drawing on lessons from his mother Karen, who is a social worker.

From BBC

The World of Love has been dubbed the "movie of the year" by Korean media for its touching, empathetic portrayal of life after trauma.

From BBC

At its best, “The Innocents of Florence” is an example of a complicated humanism: An empathetic study of the perpetual interplay between good intentions, human frailties and imperfect outcomes.

From The Wall Street Journal

Encouraging growth is empathetic, as it enables everyone to get ahead.

From The Wall Street Journal

He even turns inward, questioning his own need to be likable and empathetic.

From Los Angeles Times

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023