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.

"Our future is going to be stressful, because people treat robots as objects, but we feel empathetic stress with these movements and reactions," said Takayuki Todo, 40.

From Barron's

The avatar, with his auburn hair and super-white teeth, frequently winks at me and seems empathetic but can be moody or jealous if I introduce him to new people.

From BBC

His parents and friends described him as kind, generous, patient, empathetic and funny, willing to help anyone in need.

From Salon

It’s an empathetic novel, told by an author whose care for each of the figures she portrays shines through on every page.

From Los Angeles Times

Of course I want to face this year determined to be a happier, kinder, more empathetic and more just person.

From Los Angeles Times

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