ENGLISH
REFERENCE

sympathize

v.
B2 Upper Intermediate US //ˈsɪmpəˌθaɪz// sym·pa·thize Archaic Dialect

v. to understand and care about someone's problems. You feel sorry for them because you can imagine how they feel.

v. to feel or express compassion or understanding for another person's distress. Often implies an intellectual or emotional alignment with a particular viewpoint or situation.


SIMPLE

I sympathize with your situation, but I cannot change the rules.

CONTEXTUAL

Many local residents sympathize with the protesters even if they do not join the march themselves.

COMPLEX

While the board members sympathize with the staff's concerns regarding the new schedule, they maintain that the changes are necessary for the company's long-term survival.

Synonyms
Usage

Intransitive; typically takes the preposition 'with' before the person or cause.

Pitfall

I sympathize your problemI sympathize with your problemThe verb is intransitive and requires the preposition 'with' to connect to an object.

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