Dictionary / sympathy
sympathy
- noun
- from Middle French
A feeling of pity or sorrow for the suffering or distress of another.
1 All current definitions
Every sense of “sympathy” in current use, as recorded by Wiktionary. Older and obsolete senses are kept separately.
noun
- countableuncountableA feeling of pity or sorrow for the suffering or distress of another.
If you want sympathy you’ll find it in the dictionary between shit and syphilis. Sympathy may pay well in the short term, but if you cash in on sympathy, it will take everything from you in the long run.2018, Sergeant first class Greg Stube, Conquer Anything: A Green Beret’s Guide to Building Your A-Team:
- A feeling of pity or sorrow for the suffering or distress of another.countablein pluraluncountableThe formal expression of pity or sorrow for someone else's misfortune.
While you'll probably have her sympathies if your condominium association wants to preapprove your storm door, you'll need to work harder for her support if your boss at the music megastore demands you grow a goatee to help lend the place some indie cred.2004 September 10, Edward Tverdek, “When Libertarians Go Shopping”, in Chicago Reader:
- A feeling of pity or sorrow for the suffering or distress of another.countableuncountableThe ability to share the feelings of another.
- countableuncountableInclination to think or feel alike; emotional or intellectual accord; common feeling.
- Inclination to think or feel alike; emotional or intellectual accord; common feeling.countablein pluraluncountableSupport in the form of shared feelings or opinions.
- Inclination to think or feel alike; emotional or intellectual accord; common feeling.countableuncountableFeeling of loyalty; tendency towards, agreement with or approval of an opinion or aim; a favorable attitude.
Many people in Hollywood were blacklisted merely because they were suspected of Communist sympathies.
- countableuncountableAn affinity, association or mutual relationship between people or things such that they are correspondingly affected by any condition.
He observed, also, the frequent sympathy of volcanic and terremotive action in remote districts of the earth's surface, thus showing how deeply seated must be the cause of these convulsions.1858, William Whewell, History of the Inductive Sciences:
- An affinity, association or mutual relationship between people or things such that they are correspondingly affected by any condition.countableuncountableMutual or parallel susceptibility or a condition brought about by it.
- An affinity, association or mutual relationship between people or things such that they are correspondingly affected by any condition.countableuncountableArtistic harmony, as of shape or colour in a painting.
Cross-check: WordNet senses (3)
- nounan inclination to support or be loyal to or to agree with an opinion — also: understanding
- nounsharing the feelings of others (especially feelings of sorrow or anguish) — also: fellow feeling
- nouna relation of affinity or harmony between people; whatever affects one correspondingly affects the other
Antonyms: apathy, antipathy, contempt, dissympathy
2 History of the word
The etymology, the path the word travelled, and the words built from it.
The word’s journey, newest to oldest:
- English (today)sympathy
- Middle Frenchsympathie
- Late Latinsympathīa “feeling in common”
- Ancient Greekσῠμπᾰ́θειᾰ (sŭmpắtheiă) “fellow feeling”
- Ancient Greekσῠμπᾰθής (sŭmpăthḗs) “affected by like feelings; exerting mutual influence, interacting” + -ῐᾰ (-ĭă) “-y”
Borrowed from Middle French sympathie, from Late Latin sympathīa (“feeling in common”), from Ancient Greek σῠμπᾰ́θειᾰ (sŭmpắtheiă, “fellow feeling”), from σῠμπᾰθής (sŭmpăthḗs, “affected by like feelings; exerting mutual influence, interacting”) + -ῐᾰ (-ĭă, “-y”, nominal suffix). Equivalent to sym- (“acting or considered together”) + -pathy (“feeling”).
Derivatives — words built from “sympathy”
Phrases & compounds
Want to go deeper? See also “sympathy” on Etymonline ↗
3 Original language
Where “sympathy” came from before it was English.
4 Original meaning
What the word meant at the oldest point the record reaches.
Historical meaning — Webster’s 1913
A historical record, labelled as such: some of these senses are dated or have since shifted.
sympathy n. [F. sympathie, L. sympathia, Gr. sy`n with + Syn-, and Pathos.]
- Feeling corresponding to that which another feels; the quality of being affected by the affection of another, with feelings correspondent in kind, if not in degree; fellow-feeling.
- An agreement of affections or inclinations, or a conformity of natural temperament, which causes persons to be pleased, or in accord, with one another; as, there is perfect sympathy between them.
- Kindness of feeling toward one who suffers; pity; commiseration; compassion.
- A tendency of inanimate things to unite, or to act on each other; as, the sympathy between the loadstone and iron.
5 Use it with confidence
Model sentences from the sources, matched to the meaning they show. Read each one aloud, then make your own in the game.
nounMeaning: A feeling of pity or sorrow for the suffering or distress of another.
If you want sympathy you’ll find it in the dictionary between shit and syphilis. Sympathy may pay well in the short term, but if you cash in on sympathy, it will take everything from you in the long run.2018, Sergeant first class Greg Stube, Conquer Anything: A Green Beret’s Guide to Building Your A-Team:
And all told, Trump’s second term has actually led to the most sympathy for migrants on record in the 21st century, per Gallup. Fully 79% of Americans now say immigration is a “good thing,” compared with 64% last year.2025 July 13, Aaron Blake, “Trump’s mass deportation is backfiring”, in CNN, archived from the original on 17 Jul 2025:
nounMeaning: The formal expression of pity or sorrow for someone else's misfortune.
While you'll probably have her sympathies if your condominium association wants to preapprove your storm door, you'll need to work harder for her support if your boss at the music megastore demands you grow a goatee to help lend the place some indie cred.2004 September 10, Edward Tverdek, “When Libertarians Go Shopping”, in Chicago Reader:
nounMeaning: Feeling of loyalty; tendency towards, agreement with or approval of an opinion or aim; a favorable attitude.
Many people in Hollywood were blacklisted merely because they were suspected of Communist sympathies.
nounMeaning: An affinity, association or mutual relationship between people or things such that they are correspondingly affected by any condition.
He observed, also, the frequent sympathy of volcanic and terremotive action in remote districts of the earth's surface, thus showing how deeply seated must be the cause of these convulsions.1858, William Whewell, History of the Inductive Sciences:
A peculiarity of were-animals is the sympathy that exists between their animal form and that of the human with whom it is connected.1936, Rollo Ahmed, The Black Art, London: Long, page 121:
nounMeaning: a relation of affinity or harmony between people; whatever affects one correspondingly affects the other
the two of them were in close sympathy
Three steps to owning it
- Pick one meaning above and read its model sentence out loud.
- Say who or what the word is about in your own life, then build a sentence around that.
- Check it against the definition: would a careful reader understand exactly that meaning?
6 The mastery game
Play it here, or print it and do it with pen and paper. At the end you will know the meanings, history, origin and original meaning — and you will have used the word yourself.
Say it, then spell it
sympathy
/ˈsɪm.pə.θi/
Say the word out loud three times, slowly. Notice the stressed syllable. When you are ready, hide it and spell it from memory.
Activate Words · Word-mastery worksheet · Name: ______________________ Date: __________
sympathy
/ˈsɪm.pə.θi/ · noun
Step 1 — Say it and write it
Say “sympathy” out loud three times. Then cover the word and write it three times from memory.
Step 2 — Know every meaning
Read each definition. Then write it again in your own words.
Step 3 — History and origin
Write the word’s journey back in time (each language and form):
Write three words built from “sympathy” and what each means:
Step 4 — Original meaning
The earliest traceable form is Ancient Greek σῠμπᾰ́θειᾰ. What did it mean?
How does that original meaning connect to the meanings today?
Step 5 — Use it yourself
☐ I can explain its meanings ☐ I know its history ☐ I know its original language ☐ I know its original meaning ☐ I can use it confidently
Answer key — sympathy
Origin: B. Middle French (Middle French sympathie)
Journey: English sympathy ← Middle French sympathie ← Late Latin sympathīa ← Ancient Greek σῠμπᾰ́θειᾰ ← Ancient Greek σῠμπᾰθής + -ῐᾰ
Some derivatives: dissympathy, himpathy, nonsympathy, sympathetic, sympathism, sympathist, sympathize, sympathise
Original meaning: Ancient Greek σῠμπᾰ́θειᾰ — “fellow feeling”
Built from: σῠμπᾰθής “affected by like feelings; exerting mutual influence, interacting” + -ῐᾰ “-y”
Etymology: Borrowed from Middle French sympathie, from Late Latin sympathīa (“feeling in common”), from Ancient Greek σῠμπᾰ́θειᾰ (sŭmpắtheiă, “fellow feeling”), from σῠμπᾰθής (sŭmpăthḗs, “affected by like feelings; exerting mutual influence, interacting”) + -ῐᾰ (-ĭă, “-y”, nominal suffix). Equivalent to sym- (“acting or considered together”) + -pathy (“feeling”).
Sources: Wiktionary “sympathy” (https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/sympathy#English), CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org; Princeton WordNet 3.0; Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913, public domain) via GCIDE. Worksheet from https://activatewords.com/w/sympathy