empathize

especially British, em·pa·thise

[em-puh-thahyz]

verb (used without object)

empathized, empathizing 

1. to experience empathy (often followed bywith ).

   His ability to empathize with people made him an excellent marriage counselor.

empathize

/ ˈɛmpəˌθaɪz /

verb

1. (intr) to engage in or feel empathy

Word History and Origins

Origin of empathize¹

First recorded in 1920–25; empath(y) + -ize

Example Sentences

He empathizes with people born in the 1940s who feel irrelevant, since even 20-year-olds now baffle him.

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“I totally empathize with the founders who want to put everything else in their life on hold in order to do this,” he said.

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Drivers tackling the madness of westside traffic leading to or from the tangled 405 Freeway will surely empathize with Buggy Bear who looks as if he’s one wrong turn away from having a traffic-induced meltdown.

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Even trying her best to empathize, she’s overbearing.

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Matt Lewis, a spokesperson for California YIMBY, one of the bill’s sponsors, said he empathizes with homeowners wishing their neighborhoods would stay the same.

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Related Words

• sympathize 

When To Use

What does empathize mean?

To empathize with someone is to imagine or try to deeply understand what they are feeling or what it’s like to be in their situation.The ability or the practice of doing this is called empathy, which is often described as the ability to feel what others are feeling as if you are feeling it yourself. So, to empathize is to feel empathy for someone. People who do this are described as empathetic.Some people use the word empathize interchangeably or in overlapping ways with the word sympathize, which generally means to share someone else’s emotions, especially sadness. However, others distinguish the two terms by emphasizing the importance of empathizing with others (feeling their pain) as opposed to sympathizing with them (feeling sorry for them).Example: Having faced many of the same challenges, Nyala is able to empathize with other immigrants and what they go through.