Word
empathic
Phoneticsem·path·ic
UK/ɛmpˈæθɪk/
Definition
adj. showing that you understand and share how another person feels. You use it to describe kind listening and caring responses.
adj. showing or arising from empathy; sensitive to another person's feelings, thoughts, or perspective. Often precedes nouns denoting response or communication, such as 'concern' or 'listening'.
Examples
“She gives empathic advice to all her friends.”
“The nurse takes an empathic approach, listening carefully while patients describe their pain and worries.”
“An empathic manager notices quiet stress in the team and adjusts deadlines before burnout spreads through the group.”
Examples
simple
“She gives empathic advice to all her friends.”
contextual
“The nurse takes an empathic approach, listening carefully while patients describe their pain and worries.”
complex
“An empathic manager notices quiet stress in the team and adjusts deadlines before burnout spreads through the group.”
Usage
Typically placed before the noun it modifies or after linking verbs like 'be' and 'seem'.
Real-World Examples
“Among our close animal relatives, only humans have involved and empathic fathers.” “Far from being brutish thugs, the Shanidar flower burial, as it became known, painted a picture of Neanderthals as empathic beings who cared enough for their dead to scour the mountains for funeral bouquets.” “Overall, people tended to rate gen AI messages as more empathic, meaning that they appeared understanding and caring, than human-written ones.” “A Pulitzer finalist, Aviv has become known for rigorous, penetrating journalism that is as empathic as it is insightful.” Etymology
From empathy + -ic.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Related words
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- C1 · Advanced
- Updated
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