sympathy
6 synonyms and 4 antonyms for sympathy, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Noun — A feeling of pity or sorrow for someone else's suffering or misfortune.
Synonyms
Everyday swaps
Common words most readers know — safe in any writing.
Less common
Still standard English, but they carry more weight.
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
Antonyms
How to use sympathy
The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.
express sympathy
sympathy card
have sympathy for
Etymology
From Greek sympatheia, "fellow feeling," from syn- ("together") + pathos ("feeling").
Full origin of sympathy →Frequently asked questions
What does “sympathy” mean?
The word “sympathy” means a feeling of pity or sorrow for someone else's suffering or misfortune. In plain terms, feeling sorry for someone, or sharing their feelings and supporting their side.
How do you pronounce “sympathy”?
“Sympathy” is pronounced SIHM-puhth-ee (/ˈsɪm.pəθ.i/ in IPA).
How do you use “sympathy” in a sentence?
Here is “sympathy” used in a sentence: “She sent a card expressing her sympathy after his father passed away.”
What is the opposite of “sympathy”?
The opposite of “sympathy” — its antonyms — are apathy, antipathy, dissympathy and contempt.
What part of speech is “sympathy”?
“Sympathy” is a noun.
Where does the word “sympathy” come from?
The word “sympathy” comes from Greek. From Greek sympatheia, "fellow feeling," from syn- ("together") + pathos ("feeling").
Is “sympathy” a common word?
“Sympathy” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B1 level.
How many meanings does “sympathy” have?
“Sympathy” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a feeling of pity or sorrow for someone else's suffering or misfortune.
What is the difference between sympathy and empathy?
Sympathy is feeling pity or sorrow for someone else's suffering, viewed from the outside. Empathy goes further: it is the ability to put yourself in the other person's position and share what they are feeling from within. You can send sympathy to a grieving colleague without claiming to feel their loss yourself.
Is it "sympathy for" or "sympathy with"?
Use "sympathy for" with the pity sense: "I felt great sympathy for the victims." Use "sympathy with" — often "in sympathy with" — for the agreement sense: "I have some sympathy with that argument." The choice of preposition tracks the word's two meanings.
What is the difference between sympathy and compassion?
Sympathy is the feeling of pity or sorrow for another person's misfortune. Compassion typically includes that feeling plus an urge to help relieve the suffering, which is why compassion is more often linked with action.
