Definitions for sympathy
ˈsɪm pə θisym·pa·thy

Princeton's WordNet(2.50 / 2 votes)Rate this definition:

1. sympathy, understandingnoun

   an inclination to support or be loyal to or to agree with an opinion

   "his sympathies were always with the underdog"; "I knew I could count on his understanding"

2. sympathy, fellow feelingnoun

   sharing the feelings of others (especially feelings of sorrow or anguish)

3. sympathynoun

   a relation of affinity or harmony between people; whatever affects one correspondingly affects the other

   "the two of them were in close sympathy"

GCIDE(1.00 / 1 vote)Rate this definition:

1. Sympathynoun

   (Physiol. & Med.) (a) The reciprocal influence exercised by organs or parts on one another, as shown in the effects of a diseased condition of one part on another part or organ, as in the vomiting produced by a tumor of the brain. (b) The influence of a certain psychological state in one person in producing a like state in another. In the original 1890 work, sense (b) was described as:

   Etymology: [F. sympathie, L. sympathia, Gr. ; sy`n with + suffering, passion, fr. , , to suffer. See Syn-, and Pathos.]

Wiktionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. sympathynoun

   A feeling of pity or sorrow for the suffering or distress of another; compassion.

   Etymology: From sympathie, from sympathia, from συμπάθεια, from σύν + πάθος.

2. sympathynoun

   The ability to share the feelings of another;

   Etymology: From sympathie, from sympathia, from συμπάθεια, from σύν + πάθος.

3. sympathynoun

   A mutual relationship between people or things such that they are correspondingly affected by any condition.

   Etymology: From sympathie, from sympathia, from συμπάθεια, from σύν + πάθος.

Webster Dictionary(3.50 / 2 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Sympathynoun

   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

   Etymology: [F. sympathie, L. sympathia, Gr. ; sy`n with + suffering, passion, fr. , , to suffer. See Syn-, and Pathos.]

2. Sympathynoun

   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

   Etymology: [F. sympathie, L. sympathia, Gr. ; sy`n with + suffering, passion, fr. , , to suffer. See Syn-, and Pathos.]

3. Sympathynoun

   kindness of feeling toward one who suffers; pity; commiseration; compassion

   Etymology: [F. sympathie, L. sympathia, Gr. ; sy`n with + suffering, passion, fr. , , to suffer. See Syn-, and Pathos.]

4. Sympathynoun

   the reciprocal influence exercised by the various organs or parts of the body on one another, as manifested in the transmission of a disease by unknown means from one organ to another quite remote, or in the influence exerted by a diseased condition of one part on another part or organ, as in the vomiting produced by a tumor of the brain

   Etymology: [F. sympathie, L. sympathia, Gr. ; sy`n with + suffering, passion, fr. , , to suffer. See Syn-, and Pathos.]

5. Sympathynoun

   that relation which exists between different persons by which one of them produces in the others a state or condition like that of himself. This is shown in the tendency to yawn which a person often feels on seeing another yawn, or the strong inclination to become hysteric experienced by many women on seeing another person suffering with hysteria

   Etymology: [F. sympathie, L. sympathia, Gr. ; sy`n with + suffering, passion, fr. , , to suffer. See Syn-, and Pathos.]

6. Sympathynoun

   a tendency of inanimate things to unite, or to act on each other; as, the sympathy between the loadstone and iron

   Etymology: [F. sympathie, L. sympathia, Gr. ; sy`n with + suffering, passion, fr. , , to suffer. See Syn-, and Pathos.]

7. Sympathynoun

   similarity of function, use office, or the like

   Etymology: [F. sympathie, L. sympathia, Gr. ; sy`n with + suffering, passion, fr. , , to suffer. See Syn-, and Pathos.]

Freebase(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Sympathy

   Sympathy is a feeling and concern. Or it can be the perception, understanding, and reaction to the distress or need of another human being. This empathic concern is driven by a switch in viewpoint, from a personal perspective to the perspective of another group or individual who is in need. Empathy and sympathy are often used interchangeably. Sympathy is a feeling, but the two terms have distinct origins and meanings. Empathy refers to the understanding and sharing of a specific emotional state with another person. Sympathy does not require the sharing of the same emotional state. Instead, sympathy is a concern for the well-being of another. Although sympathy may begin with empathizing with the same emotion another person is feeling, sympathy can be extended to other emotional states.

Chambers 20th Century Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Sympathy

   sim′pa-thi, n. like feeling: an agreement of inclination, feeling, or sensation: compassion: pity: tenderness: an agreement of affections or inclinations, or a conformity of natural temperament: mutual conformity of parts in the fine arts: correspondence of parts in similar sensations or affections, or the affection of the whole body or system, or some part of it, in consequence of local injury or disease: propensity of inanimate bodies to union or mutual action: the effective union of colours.—adjs. Sympathet′ic, -al, showing, or inclined to, sympathy: feeling with another: able to sympathise: compassionate: produced by sympathy: uniting viscera and blood-vessels in a nervous action common to them all: noting sounds induced by vibrations conveyed through air, &c., from a body already in vibration.—adv. Sympathet′ically.—n. Sympathet′icism, undue disipostion to be sympathetic.—v.i. Sym′pathise, to have sympathy: to feel with or for another: to be compassionate.—ns. Sym′pathiser; Sym′pathism; Sym′pathist.—Sympathetic ink (see Ink). [Gr. sympatheia—syn, with, pathos, suffering.]

The Roycroft Dictionary(5.00 / 1 vote)Rate this definition:

1. sympathy

   1. A malady that sometimes afflicts the rich. 2. The lees of the wine-cup offered to another. 3. An impulse toward ourselves through the heart of another. 4. Whatever may be extended to another that does not take the shape of money. 5. The sum of all virtues. 6. The first attribute of love as well as its last. (I am not sure but that sympathy is love's own self, vitalized mayhap by some divine actinic ray. Only the souls who have suffered are well loved.)

The Foolish Dictionary, by Gideon Wurdz(4.00 / 1 vote)Rate this definition:

1. SYMPATHY

   Feeling for others; very noticeable in Blind Man's Buff.

Matched Categories

1. • Affinity
   • Inclination

British National Corpus

1. Spoken Corpus Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'sympathy' in Spoken Corpus Frequency: #4282

2. Written Corpus Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'sympathy' in Written Corpus Frequency: #4633

3. Nouns Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'sympathy' in Nouns Frequency: #1622

How to pronounce sympathy?

1. Alex

   US English

   Daniel

   British

   Karen

   Australian

   Veena

   Indian

How to say sympathy in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of sympathy in Chaldean Numerology is: 9

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of sympathy in Pythagorean Numerology is: 1

Examples of sympathy in a Sentence

1. Ken Cole:

   The ranchers generate public sympathy for their custom and culture, all the while despoiling the land, wildlife, and water and disregarding the laws that govern the heavily subsidized grazing permits they feel so entitled to.

2. Brenda McDonald:

   She was so intrigued. ... There was no sympathy. There was no sadness. It was weird, like she wanted to be in my mother's shoes, it had everything to do with the crowd and the love. ... I'm telling you, I knew she had something up her sleeve.

3. Samuel Taylor Coleridge:

   All sympathy not consistent with acknowledged virtue is but disguised selfishness.

4. Lydia Child:

   The nearer society approaches to divine order, the less separation will there be in the characters, duties, and pursuits of men and women. Women will not become less gentle and graceful, but men will become more so. Women will not neglect the care and education of their children, but men will find themselves ennobled and refined by sharing those duties with them; and will receive, in return, co-operation and sympathy in the discharge of various other duties, now deemed inappropriate to women. The more women become rational companions, partners in business and in thought, as well as in affection and amusement, the more highly will men appreciate home.

5. Governor Tom Wolf:

   This moratorium is in no way an expression of sympathy for the guilty on death row, all of whom have been convicted of committing heinous crimes.

Images & Illustrations of sympathy

Popularity rank by frequency of use