1
as in compassion
sorrow or the capacity to feel sorrow for another's suffering or misfortune
since losing her own brother to lung disease, the nurse has had greater sympathy for families going through the same agony
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in kindness
the capacity for feeling for another's unhappiness or misfortune
the least you could do is have some sympathy for me if I have to stay home
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of sympathy
One of them apparently had sympathies with the pro-reform elders in Beijing that hoped for a path that was different from the one that Xi Jinping took.
—
Emily Feng, NPR, 28 May 2025
Mordecai Johnson was a Black man leading an academic institution during Jim Crow when representatives from an almost entirely white Congress asked him whether professors with radical sympathies should be allowed to teach at Howard.
—Jelani Cobb, New Yorker, 25 May 2025
Neither the writer-director — whose influences here include Mike Leigh, Ken Loach and Gus Van Sant — nor lead Frank Dillane, who acts with a nervy volatility offset by insouciant charm and humor, courts our sympathies, even as the film shows unquestionable compassion.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 24 May 2025
Devon offers her an olive branch, or at least some sympathy.
—Caroline Framke, Vulture, 23 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for sympathy
Emily Feng, NPR, 28 May 2025
Mordecai Johnson was a Black man leading an academic institution during Jim Crow when representatives from an almost entirely white Congress asked him whether professors with radical sympathies should be allowed to teach at Howard.
—Jelani Cobb, New Yorker, 25 May 2025
Neither the writer-director — whose influences here include Mike Leigh, Ken Loach and Gus Van Sant — nor lead Frank Dillane, who acts with a nervy volatility offset by insouciant charm and humor, courts our sympathies, even as the film shows unquestionable compassion.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 24 May 2025
Devon offers her an olive branch, or at least some sympathy.
—Caroline Framke, Vulture, 23 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for sympathy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sympathy
Noun
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Each of us can use the next six months working on our own heart, praying for a heart that is filled with compassion and love.—
Bea L. Hines,
Miami Herald,
6 June 2025
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Balancing business needs with compassion for people is critical to preserving trust and morale through a difficult transition, for both employees who are retained and also for those impacted by layoffs.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes.com,
5 June 2025
Noun
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By Carol McCloud, Illustrated by David Messing Summary: This book explains clearly and simply how everyone has an invisible bucket that can be filled through small acts of kindness or emptied by acts of thoughtlessness or cruelty.—
Esther K. Choy,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2025
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Please advise me how to navigate this tricky territory with respect and kindness.—
Judith Martin,
The Orlando Sentinel,
29 May 2025
Noun
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The Rise Of The Digital Leader Digital leaders operate at the intersection of three essential domains: technology (leveraging AI, automation and data to drive strategy), business (aligning digital efforts with measurable outcomes) and people (leading with empathy, influence and adaptability).—
Raj Polanki,
Forbes.com,
3 June 2025
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The idea of sharing our stories connects us as a whole, evoking empathy.—
Julia Moore,
People.com,
2 June 2025
Noun
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All of our hearts are broken … our sadness is gut wrenching - there’s a hole, something is missing.—
Mitchell Willetts,
Kansas City Star,
29 May 2025
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Pregnant women are at high risk for severe disease and studies show that the likelihood of miscarriage, stillbirth and pregnancy complications like preeclampsia, blood clots, heart and kidney damage and hypertension are much higher among women who develop COVID-19 during pregnancy.—
Karen Weintraub,
USA Today,
29 May 2025
Noun
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Read the full Cancer Daily Horoscope Leo (July 23 - August 22) Throwing a pity party?—
USA TODAY,
USA Today,
1 May 2025
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Sometimes even the family refuses to take pity, as new Nashville Harbor artist Greylan James discovered.—
Tom Roland,
Billboard,
17 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sympathy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sympathy. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.
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