sympathetic
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
showing that you understand and care about someone else's suffering or problems.
feeling, showing, or expressing empathy and sorrow for another's misfortune.
Simple“My boss was very sympathetic when I explained that my car had broken down.”
In context“The nurse offered a sympathetic ear to the patient, listening patiently as he described his anxieties about the upcoming surgery.”
PitfallHe is very sympathetic; he always has a good time. He is very likeable; he always has a good time.In many languages, 'sympathetic' means 'nice' or 'likeable'. In English, it specifically means you feel sorry for someone's problems.
SynonymsAntonyms - 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
agreeing with or supporting a particular aim, idea, or person.
showing approval of or favour towards an idea, cause, or individual.
Simple“The local council is sympathetic to our plan to build a new park.”
In context“Although the senator was sympathetic to the environmental cause, she ultimately voted against the bill due to its high cost.”
Synonyms - 03 C1 Advanced
describing a character in a book or film that you like and want to succeed.
evoking pity or liking in an audience; used especially of fictional characters.
Simple“The villain was actually a sympathetic character with a very sad past.”
In context“The author struggled to make the protagonist sympathetic, as his early actions in the novel were largely driven by greed.”
Antonyms - 04 C2 Proficiency
relating to the part of the nervous system that helps the body react to stress or danger.
relating to the part of the autonomic nervous system that typically accelerates heart rate and prepares the body for 'fight or flight'.
Simple“The sympathetic nervous system makes your heart beat faster when you are scared.”
In context“The drug works by inhibiting the sympathetic response, thereby lowering the patient's blood pressure during periods of acute stress.”
UsageUsually precedes the noun 'nervous system'.
Antonymsparasympathetic - 05 C2 Proficiency
describing a sound or vibration caused by another sound nearby.
relating to or produced by vibrations in one body caused by similar vibrations in another.
Simple“When she hit the low note on the piano, I heard a sympathetic vibration from the guitar.”
In context“The sitar features several sympathetic strings that are never plucked but vibrate in response to the primary melody strings.”
Synonyms
sympathetic vs empathetic — Sympathetic means you feel pity for someone's hardship; empathetic means you actually share and understand their internal feelings.
sympathetic vs nice — Sympathetic describes a specific emotional response to another person's suffering, while nice describes a general pleasantness or agreeable character.
“The Scottish government says it is sympathetic to Erin's campaign and will shortly outline a review of fertility services.”
“What’s more, a fair number of Germans were sympathetic to the British cause or at least unsympathetic to the American one.”
Mid 17th century in the sense “relating to an affinity or paranormal influence”, from Latin sympathēticus. By surface analysis, sympathy + -etic (“pertaining to”); compare pathetic. Displaced native Old English efnþrōwiende.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.