sympathetic

[sim-puh-thet-ik]

adjective

1. characterized by, proceeding from, exhibiting, or feeling sympathy; sympathizing; compassionate.

   a sympathetic listener.

   Synonyms: affectionate, tender, kind
   Antonyms: unkind, hard

2. acting or affected by, of the nature of, or pertaining to a special affinity or mutual relationship; congenial.

   With their many similar tastes, he found her a most sympathetic companion.

3. looking upon with favor (often followed by to ortoward ).

   She is sympathetic to the project.

4. Anatomy, Physiology.

   1. pertaining to that part of the autonomic nervous system consisting of nerves that arise from the thoracic and lumbar regions of the spinal cord, and functioning in opposition to the parasympathetic system, as in stimulating heartbeat, dilating the pupil of the eye, etc.

   2. Obsolete.,  pertaining to the autonomic nervous system in its entirety.

5. Physics.,  noting or pertaining to vibrations, sounds, etc., produced by a body as the direct result of similar vibrations in a different body.

sympathetic

/ ˌsɪmpəˈθɛtɪk /

adjective

1. characterized by, feeling, or showing sympathy; understanding

2. in accord with the subject's personality or mood; congenial

   a sympathetic atmosphere

3. showing agreement (with) or favour (towards)

   sympathetic to the proposals

4. anatomy physiol of or relating to the division of the autonomic nervous system that acts in opposition to the parasympathetic system accelerating the heartbeat, dilating the bronchi, inhibiting the smooth muscles of the digestive tract, etc Compare parasympathetic

5. relating to vibrations occurring as a result of similar vibrations in a neighbouring body

   sympathetic strings on a sitar

Other Word Forms

• sympathetically adverb
• nonsympathetic adjective
• nonsympathetically adverb
• quasi-sympathetic adjective
• quasi-sympathetically adverb
• supersympathetic adjective
• unsympathetic adjective
• unsympathetically adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of sympathetic¹

First recorded in 1635–45; from New Latin sympathēticus, from Greek sympathētikós; equivalent to sym- + pathetic

Example Sentences

The party also needs to become "bold enough to ask" sympathetic donors that have sustained big parties like the Conservatives, Labour and Reform, she says.

From BBC

Parties sympathetic to Moscow rejected the police claims as fake and a show - created by the government to scare people into supporting them.

From BBC

Perhaps the most sympathetic reason Williams gave for the glass cliff phenomenon is that sometimes an institution wants to signal they’re shaking things up by promoting someone who isn’t a cookie-cutter white guy.

From Salon

When I shared this story with a friend, she gave a small, sympathetic hoot and said, “Do you want to hear how many times I’ve misplaced my phone this week?”

From Salon

Flick's sympathetic approach may be the perfect fit for Rashford, who has been hurt by his recent experiences and will need bringing out of his shell.

From BBC

Related Words

• affectionate 
• caring 
• compassionate 
• interested 
• loving 
• responsive 
• sensitive 
• supportive 
• thoughtful 
• warm 

When To Use

What does sympathetic mean?

Sympathetic means having sympathy—having the same emotions as someone else, especially sadness.Being sympathetic in this way is usually understood to mean that you feel bad for someone because they are in a negative situation.Sympathetic is also sometimes used to mean supportive of or loyal to someone or something, as in The governor is trying to portray himself as sympathetic to the working class.Sometimes, sympathetic is used to describe a person (or fictional character) who you can identify with and care about, as in His political ads try to make him look like a sympathetic figure.  To be sympathetic toward someone is to sympathize with them. The opposite of sympathetic is unsympathetic.Some people use the word sympathetic interchangeably or in overlapping ways with the word empathetic, which 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. 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).Example: I’ve experienced the same thing, so I’m sympathetic toward them.