Sympathy, Sympathetic and Sympathetically
Sympathy, sympathetic, and sympathetically originate from the Greek “sympatheia,” meaning “feeling with” or shared emotion. Sympathy (n.) refers to a feeling of compassion, sorrow, or understanding for another’s situation, often accompanied by a desire to alleviate their suffering—e.g., “She expressed sympathy for her friend’s loss.” Sympathetic (adj.) describes someone or something that shows or feels this compassion, as in “His sympathetic tone comforted the grieving family.” It can also mean being in alignment or harmony, like “sympathetic vibrations.” Sympathetically (adv.) describes actions performed with such compassion or understanding, e.g., “She listened sympathetically to their concerns.” Together, they convey emotional connection; for example, “Her sympathy for the struggling student led to a sympathetic approach, as she sympathetically offered extra support to help them succeed.”
Sympathy is a noun that refers to the feeling of understanding, caring, or compassion for someone who is suffering, unhappy, or going through a difficult time. When a person shows sympathy, they express kindness and concern for another’s misfortune or pain. The adjective “sympathetic” describes someone who exhibits such feelings of compassion or shows understanding towards others’ troubles. The adverb “sympathetically” describes acting in a manner that shows concern, kindness, or support for another person’s feelings. Sympathy differs from empathy in that it involves feeling pity or sorrow for someone, rather than fully sharing or understanding their emotions. It also can imply loyalty or agreement with a cause or idea.
Sympathy is the feeling of care, concern, or sorrow for someone else’s misfortune or hardship, often accompanied by a desire to comfort or support them. A sympathetic person shows understanding, kindness, and compassion, readily connecting with others’ emotions and offering reassurance. When describing how this concern is expressed in action or speech, the adverb sympathetically is used—for example, listening sympathetically to a friend means showing warmth and sensitivity to their feelings. Together, these words capture the idea of emotional connection and empathetic response to others’ experiences.
The words sympathy, sympathetic, and sympathetically all describe a positive, caring connection to the experience of another person. Sympathy is the noun, referring to the act or capacity of sharing the feelings of another, especially sorrow or distress; it is a feeling of concern and compassion for someone in a difficult situation. For example, offering a condolence card is an expression of sympathy.
Sympathetic is the adjective, meaning to be characterized by, feeling, or showing sympathy; it describes a person who is kind, understanding, and supportive of another’s feelings. A friend who is a sympathetic listener will validate your struggles. Finally, sympathetically is the adverb, describing an action done in a sympathetic manner—with kindness, understanding, or agreement. The journalist wrote sympathetically about the victim’s plight.
