Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Feeling or showing sympathy, compassion, or understanding: Describes a person who shares or understands the feelings of another, often resulting in kindness or support.
   • Favorable, agreeable, or approving: Describes being in harmony with or supportive of a person, idea, or cause.
   • Relating to the sympathetic nervous system: Pertaining to the part of the nervous system that controls involuntary bodily functions and the "fight or flight" response.
   • (Physics) Relating to resonance: Describing vibrations that occur in one body as a result of vibrations in a nearby body.

Usage and Examples

• Showing understanding or compassion:
  • She gave me a sympathetic smile when I told her my problem.
  • He was very sympathetic to the plight of the refugees.
• Being in agreement or favor:
  • The manager is sympathetic to our proposal for flexible hours.
  • I found her to be a sympathetic listener.
• (Physiology) Relating to the nervous system:
  • The drug affects the sympathetic nerves, increasing heart rate.
• (Physics) Relating to resonance:
  • The tuning fork produced a sympathetic vibration in the glass.

Advanced Usage

• "Sympathetic character": A character in a story with whom the audience is meant to identify and feel compassion for.
  • Despite his flaws, the protagonist is a deeply sympathetic character.
• "Sympathetic magic": A type of magic based on the principle that things that have been in contact can influence each other, or that like produces like. (Note: This is a compound term listed here as advanced usage).
  • The ritual was an example of sympathetic magic, using a doll to represent the person.

Variants and Related Words

• Sympathetically (adverb): In a sympathetic manner.
  • She listened sympathetically to his story.
• Sympathy (noun): The feeling of being sorry for someone's suffering; understanding between people.
  • I have great sympathy for their loss.
• Unsympathetic (adjective): Not showing or feeling sympathy; not agreeable.
  • He was unsympathetic to our requests.

Synonyms

• Compassionate: Feeling or showing sympathy and concern for others.
• Understanding: Sympathetically aware of other people's feelings.
• Supportive: Providing encouragement or emotional help.
• Congenial: Pleasant or agreeable because of a similarity to oneself.

Antonyms

• Unsympathetic: Not sympathetic.
• Apathetic: Showing or feeling no interest, enthusiasm, or concern.
• Indifferent: Having no particular interest or sympathy; unconcerned.
• Callous: Showing or having an insensitive and cruel disregard for others.

Related Phrases and Idioms

• A sympathetic ear: Willingness to listen to someone's problems with compassion.
  • Thank you for lending a sympathetic ear.
• Sympathetic to a cause: In favor of or supportive of a particular aim or principle.
  • Many politicians are sympathetic to the environmental cause.

Adjective

1. relating to vibrations that occur as a result of vibrations in a nearby body
   • sympathetic vibration
2. having similar disposition and tastes
   • with their many similar tastes, he found her a most sympathetic companion
3. (of characters in literature or drama) evoking empathic or sympathetic feelings
   • the sympathetic characters in the play
4. showing or motivated by sympathy and understanding and generosity
   • was charitable in his opinions of others
   • kindly criticism
   • a kindly act
   • sympathetic words
   • a large-hearted mentor
5. expressing or feeling or resulting from sympathy or compassion or friendly fellow feelings; disposed toward
   • sympathetic to the students' cause
   • a sympathetic observer
   • a sympathetic gesture
6. of or relating to the sympathetic nervous system
   • sympathetic neurons
   • sympathetic stimulation