Meaning of sympathy in English

Table of contents
  1. Pronunciation
  2. Noun
    1. Etymology
    2. Definitions

  1. Pronunciation

    /ˈsɪmpəθi/

    US accent Play button

    UK accent Play button

  1. Noun

    sympathy

    Etymology

    late 16th century (in sympathy (sense 3)): via Latin from Greek sumpatheia, from sumpathēs, from sun-‘with’ + pathos‘feeling’

    Definitions

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

    Examples

    • « his sympathies were always with the underdog »
    • « I knew I could count on his understanding »

    Derived terms

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

    Derived terms

  3. 3. a relation of affinity or harmony between people

    Examples

    • « whatever affects one correspondingly affects the other »
    • « the two of them were in close sympathy »

    Derived terms

Famous quotes

  • « It's no good being nice and young and naive. There's no good in that at all. You've got to do it all yourself, and you've gotta learn quick. And you can't look for sympathy either. »
    Johnny Rotten
  • « Interest does not tie nations together it sometimes separates them. But sympathy and understanding does unite them. »
    Woodrow Wilson
  • « Motherhood is at its best when the tender chords of sympathy have been touched. »
    Paul Harris
  • « There's a certain amount of sympathy here for the Bush administration's problem, which is they would like to get rid of Saddam Hussein and they would like to have the Kurds autonomous. »
    Les Aspin
  • « Sympathy is the first condition of criticism. »
    Henri Frederic Amiel

Browse dictionary