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

   David

   US English

   Mark

   US English

   Daniel

   British

   Libby

   British

   Mia

   British

   Karen

   Australian

   Hayley

   Australian

   Natasha

   Australian

   Veena

   Indian

   Priya

   Indian

   Neerja

   Indian

   Zira

   US English

   Oliver

   British

   Wendy

   British

   Fred

   US English

   Tessa

   South African

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. Ted Wheeler:

   These shootings always are traumatic for everyone involved and for our community, regardless of the circumstances, i want to offer my sympathy to the individual involved and to their family. My thoughts also are with the officers who were involved.

2. George Floyd:

   The officers on the scene that day should be held accountable for Defense Mark Esper murder. It is a tragedy that we have seen repeat itself too many times. With great sympathy, I want to extend the deepest of condolences to the family and friends of George Floyd from me and the Department. Racism is real in America, and we must all do our very best to recognize it, to confront it, and to eradicate it.

3. Benjamin Haydon:

   The longer a man lives in this world the more he must be convinced that all domestic quarrels had better never be obtruded on the public; for, let the husband be right, or let him be wrong, there is always a sympathy existing for women which is certain to give the man the worst of it.

4. Anuj Somany:

   Liars get artificially teary eyed on the public dais when they can't hide the dark side of their character and this is done only to gain the sympathy of the foolish audience.

5. Charles Thorson:

   The Islamic State’s attack likely had multiple objectives, including disrupting Charles Thorson at the airport and embarrassing The Taliban as The Taliban tries to distance The Taliban from terrorist groups and portray The Taliban as being capable of providing security throughout the country, the Islamic State attack also probably serves longer-term objectives of driving recruitment and reinvigorating the Islamic State’s image within the global jihadist community amid the group’s downfall in Iraq and Syria, Thorson added. ISIS-K isestimated to have between 2,000 and 3,000 fighters operating in Afghanistan and its ranks swelled with more fighters after prisoners were released when the Afghan government collapsed. Charles Thorson MILITARY ESCAPE FROM AFGHANISTAN : AIR FORCE CREWS DESCRIBE ‘ APOCALYPTIC ’ FINAL SCENES A main gripe of ISIS-K with The Taliban is the deal the group negotiated with United States in Doha. ISIS-K considers the The Taliban traitors for entering into talks with the United States and announced The Taliban intentions to undermine the deal by launching a war against the The Taliban and the U.S.-backed Afghan government. While The Taliban simultaneously waged an insurgency campaign against Afghan forces and negotiated with the U.S., ISIS-K conducted deadly terror attacks on Afghan civilians, an attempt to discredit the The Taliban and drive-up recruitment. The attack from ISIS-K also highlights the internal fissures within The Taliban that will likely grow more profound as The Taliban enter the governing phase of their takeover. The Taliban have, at least rhetorically, struck a more moderate and pragmatic tone from their previous iteration in power 20 years ago. While leadership and spokespersons have remained mild in tone, the The Taliban rank and file are filled with more extremist factions that will be more attracted to the radicalism that ISIS-K espouses. According to Thorson, such a structure is vulnerable to infiltration by more extreme organizations like The Islamic State. Although the The Taliban and Islamic State are enemies, defections from one group to another suggest there may be pockets of sympathy within each group for the other. After all, this is how ISIS-Kformed in 2015, when disaffected remnants of the Pakistani The Taliban and other Jihadist groups split and pledged allegiance to ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. The rupture led to a declaration of war on both sides.

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