sympathy

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“
He said, "You needn't be afraid, for my sympathy is all with the Allies."

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Definitions (23)

Toggle American Heritage definitions American Heritage Dictionary (7)

  1. noun A relationship or an affinity between people or things in which whatever affects one correspondingly affects the other.
  2. noun Mutual understanding or affection arising from this relationship or affinity.
  3. noun The act or power of sharing the feelings of another.
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Examples (50)

  • Proofs of this sympathy might be adduced—his determination to carry through his grandfather's social policy against Bismarck's wish, however hostile he was and is to Social Democracy; his steadfast peace policy, however nearly he has brought his country to war; his encouragement of the arts among the lower classes, however limited his views on art may be; his friendly intercourse with people of all nationalities and occupations. —  William of Germany
  • Shaz leaned forward to say softly, “Sounds like your sympathy might be a bit misplaced.” Lindsay shook her head. —  Conferences are Murder - McDermid, Val - Lindsay Gordon 04
  • Mary de Cumberland said nothing, but her sympathy was apparent I was brought up by Uncle Neapeler—a kind and wondrous man. —  Analog October, 1966
  • I felt pretty sure that the sympathy was all with me Four men are elected from the college to be on the athletic committee. —  Adventures and Letters of Richard Harding Davis
  • When this beautiful boy murmurs, “I know what you mean,” his sympathy is almost more than she can bear. —  FSF,October2005
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Roget's II Roget's II: The New Thesaurus

Allen's Allen's Synonyms and Antonyms

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Used in the same context Used in the Same Context

affection ·  pity ·  emotion ·  admiration ·  joy ·  understanding ·  attention ·  appreciation ·  hope ·  humor

Used in the same contextWord Family

sympathy:   sympathies
Roget's II: The New Thesaurus, Third Edition by the Editors of the American Heritage® Dictionary. Copyright © 2003, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Etymologies (3)

Toggle American Heritage etymologies American Heritage Dictionary (1)

  1. Latin sympathīa, from Greek sumpatheia, from sumpathēs, affected by like feelings : sun-, syn- + pathos, emotion; see kwent(h)- in Indo-European roots.

Toggle Century etymologies Century Dictionary (2)

  1. Formerly also sympathie, simpathie; = French sympathie = Spanish simpatía = Portuguese sympathia = Italian simpatia, from Latin sympathia, from Greek συμπάθεια, fellow-feeling, community of feeling, sympathy, from συμπαθής, having a fellow-feeling, affected by like feelings, sympathetic, also exciting sympathy, from σύν, with, + πάθος, feeling, passion: see pathos. Cf. apathy, antipathy.
  2. from sympathy, n.
 

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/ˈsɪmpəθi/
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