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.

Throughout his record number of guest introductions, the president was empathetic and personable.

From The Wall Street Journal

"He was really cross, really empathetic to my situation, but upset that this crucial piece of evidence wasn't available."

From BBC

With each manicured frame and deceptively poignant observation on the impossibility of living normally in modern life, Kramer concocts an original, wonderfully empathetic study of the desire to play spectator to a world on fire.

From Salon

And if you think someone you know is experiencing BDD, he stresses it is important to be patient and empathetic.

From BBC

A Sheep is nurturing, sensitive and empathetic, and the Horse baby brings energy and momentum into the Sheep parent’s world.

From Los Angeles Times

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