What does sympathise mean?
Sympathise means to feel or share another person's emotions and difficulties, particularly their sorrow, distress, or frustration. It can also mean to express sympathy for a person, position, or cause. The usual construction is “sympathise with someone”: “She sympathised with the stranded travellers.” In another sense, the word indicates approval or support rather than merely emotional understanding: “Many members sympathised with the workers' demands.” Sympathise is a neutral, widely used verb, but sympathise is the conventional British spelling, while US English generally uses sympathize. Its close relative empathise places greater emphasis on understanding another person's feelings, although the two words often overlap in modern usage. The word is useful because it conveys not only pity but also a sense of shared humanity, perspective, and emotional connection.
verbTo feel or share another person's feelings or difficulties, or to express sympathy and support for a person, viewpoint, or cause.
- To feel or share the emotions, difficulties, or perspective of another person.
- To express sympathy for, or lend support to, a person, viewpoint, or cause.
"She sympathised with the families affected by the disaster and organised practical assistance for them."
"I sympathise with her decision to leave, although I do not agree with every part of it."
"Many readers sympathised with the campaign's aim of protecting the historic building."
From Greek words meaning “together” and “feeling,” sympathise literally describes the act of feeling together with another person.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does sympathise come from?
The English verb comes through French sympathiser and ultimately derives from Greek sympathētos, a word associated with sharing feelings. Its Greek roots combine sym-, meaning “together,” with pathos, meaning “feeling” or “suffering.” The same root produced cognates and relatives including sympathy and sympathetic, while pathos and pathetic are also etymologically connected.
Related word forms
How sympathise is actually used
This is the standard British spelling; US English normally uses sympathize. It is neutral in register and is commonly followed by “with.” The word may imply emotional understanding, sympathetic concern, or active support, depending on context.
Easily confused with sympathise
Sympathise can involve emotional agreement or support for someone's circumstances, whereas empathise focuses especially on understanding another person's feelings.