sympathy

sympathy — noun

1. a sincere feeling of sadness and concern you have when you learn that someone is

1.nounB1
Definition

a sincere feeling of sadness and concern you have when you learn that someone is experiencing pain, trouble, or misfortune, along with a wish to help or comfort them.

Example

Evelyn felt deep sympathy for the children who had lost their home in the flood.

collocation: deep sympathy / feel sympathy for

The letter from the retired teacher was full of sympathy for Gita's situation.

preposition pattern: sympathy for [situation]

Common collocations
  • feel sympathy for
  • show sympathy
  • deep sympathy
  • great sympathy
  • full of sympathy
  • little sympathy
  • genuine sympathy
Synonyms
  • compassion

    stronger emotional drive to actively help; less common in everyday speech

  • pity

    can feel condescending or distanced; sympathy sounds warmer and more supportive

  • concern

    broader — can describe worry without sadness, while sympathy specifically involves shared sorrow

Antonyms
  • indifference

    lack of interest or concern; the opposite of caring about someone's suffering

Grammar Patterns

sympathy + for + person

sympathy + for + situation

Usage Note

Commonly followed by 'for' to name either the person (sympathy for him) or the difficulty (sympathy for his situation). Unlike 'empathy,' this sense does not require sharing the same feeling — it describes concern from an outside perspective.

Common Mistakes

I have sympathy for his pain.
I feel sympathy for him in his pain.
Sympathy is directed at the person, not at the suffering itself.
I give you sympathy for your exam.
I feel sympathy for you because the exam was very hard.
Use 'feel' or 'have,' not 'give,' for this emotional sense.

2. a formal or written expression of sadness sent to someone whose close relative o

2.nounB2
Definition

a formal or written expression of sadness sent to someone whose close relative or friend has recently died, intended to offer comfort during their grief.

Example

Omar wrote a note of sympathy to Haruto after hearing about his grandmother's passing.

pattern: note/letter of sympathy to [person]

The manager sent a bouquet of flowers with a card expressing the team's sympathy.

verb: express (one's) sympathy

Common collocations
  • offer one's sympathy
  • express sympathy
  • message of sympathy
  • card of sympathy
  • letter of sympathy
  • words of sympathy
  • extend sympathy
Synonyms
  • condolences

    more formal; almost exclusively used for deaths; 'sympathy' is slightly warmer and more personal

  • commiseration

    less common; can feel old-fashioned or overly formal

Grammar Patterns

(one's) sympathy + to + person

sympathy + for + loss/death

message/letter/card + of + sympathy

Usage Note

Almost always appears in fixed expressions: 'offer/extend one's sympathy,' 'a message/letter of sympathy,' or 'sympathy card.' This sense is closely associated with funerals and bereavement. Avoid using it for non-death misfortunes (use sense 1 instead).

Common Mistakes

I expressed sympathy for his surgery.
I expressed sympathy for his loss.
Sense 2 is for bereavement only; use sense 1 for other difficulties.
She gave sympathy to the flood victims.
She felt sympathy for the flood victims.' (sense 1)
'Give sympathy' in the condolence sense is typically reserved for death-related contexts.

3. agreement with or approval of a particular opinion, plan, or set of beliefs, oft

3.nounB2
Definition

agreement with or approval of a particular opinion, plan, or set of beliefs, often shown by supporting a cause or position publicly.

Example

Rania has some sympathy with the idea of a four-day work week.

pattern: have sympathy with [idea]

The senator expressed sympathy for the environmental bill during the debate.

pattern: express sympathy for [cause/bill]

Common collocations
  • have sympathy with
  • express sympathy for
  • win sympathy
  • find sympathy
  • sympathy with the idea
  • sympathy for the cause
Synonyms
  • support

    broader — can include active help; sympathy implies agreement at the level of belief or feeling

  • approval

    more formal; less emotional than sympathy

  • backing

    implies active, public support; stronger than sympathy

Antonyms
  • opposition

    active disagreement with an idea or cause

Grammar Patterns

sympathy + with + idea/cause/opinion

have + sympathy + with/for

Usage Note

Distinguish from sense 4: sense 3 refers to approval of an idea, cause, or belief (sympathy with a proposal), while sense 4 is about loyal, often personal support for a person or group through hard times.

Common Mistakes

I have sympathy for your decision to move abroad.' (ambiguous)
I have sympathy with your reasoning, even if I disagree with the outcome.
Use 'with' to signal agreement with the idea; use a different structure when you mean personal support.

4. steady loyalty or backing given to a person, team, or organization, especially w

4.nounB2
Definition

steady loyalty or backing given to a person, team, or organization, especially when they are facing difficulty or criticism.

Example

Fans remained in sympathy with the coach despite ten straight losses.

phrase: in sympathy with [person/group]

Eleni's sympathy for the old hospital never wavered, and she volunteered there every weekend.

Common collocations
  • in sympathy with
  • show sympathy for
  • remain in sympathy
  • express sympathy for
Synonyms
  • solidarity

    stronger political/group dimension; implies shared risk or action

  • allegiance

    more formal and often implies a duty-based loyalty

  • backing

    more active and practical; can include financial or organizational help

Antonyms
  • hostility

    active opposition or unfriendliness toward a person or group

Grammar Patterns

in sympathy with + person/group

sympathy + for + person/group

Usage Note

Frequently appears in the phrase 'in sympathy with' + person/group. Unlike sense 3 (agreement with ideas), this sense describes loyalty to people or institutions, often demonstrated through ongoing support or action.

Common Mistakes

I am in sympathy with the proposal to raise taxes.
I am in sympathy with the new director and her plans.
Use 'in sympathy with' for people/groups you support; use 'have sympathy with' (sense 3) for ideas and proposals.

5. a work stoppage by employees who are not themselves in a dispute but want to sta

5.nounC1
Definition

a work stoppage by employees who are not themselves in a dispute but want to stand together with colleagues who have already walked off the job.

Example

The warehouse staff walked out in sympathy with the striking drivers.

phrase: walk out in sympathy with

Niran's union voted to strike in sympathy after the hospital cleaners were locked out.

phrase: strike in sympathy

Common collocations
  • strike in sympathy
  • in sympathy with
  • sympathy strike
  • walk out in sympathy
Synonyms
  • solidarity action

    broader term covering any supportive work stoppage, not just strikes

Grammar Patterns

in sympathy with + striking workers

sympathy strike

walk out + in sympathy

Usage Note

Almost always used in the prepositional phrase 'in sympathy with' or as the compound noun 'sympathy strike.' Uncommon in everyday conversation; appears mostly in labor-relations news reporting. This sense is more common in British English than American English.

Common Mistakes

The students went on a sympathy strike for the cafeteria workers.
The students refused to attend class in sympathy with the cafeteria workers.
For non-workers, use 'in sympathy with' rather than calling it a 'strike.'

6. a natural bond of understanding and closeness between people who share similar t

6.nounC1
Definition

a natural bond of understanding and closeness between people who share similar tastes, opinions, or emotional responses, so that they easily sense what the other is thinking or feeling.

Example

Yael and Vivek discovered a deep sympathy when they met at the book club.

collocation: deep/natural sympathy between [people]

The two musicians played in perfect sympathy, each anticipating the other's tempo changes.

phrase: in perfect sympathy

Common collocations
  • sympathy between
  • in sympathy
  • deep sympathy
  • natural sympathy
  • perfect sympathy
Synonyms
  • affinity

    closer in meaning — a natural liking or attraction; sympathy emphasizes emotional understanding more than mere liking

  • rapport

    focuses on smooth communication and mutual understanding; sympathy adds an emotional-harmony dimension

  • harmony

    broader — can apply to sounds, colors, or relationships; sympathy specifically describes a meeting of minds or feelings

  • empathy

    the ability to feel what someone else feels; sympathy in this sense is about shared orientation rather than shared emotion

Grammar Patterns

sympathy + between + people

in sympathy + with + person

deep sympathy

Usage Note

This sense goes beyond simple agreement — it describes a deeper, almost instinctive harmony between people. Often used in artistic or collaborative contexts ('in perfect sympathy'). Less common in everyday conversation than senses 1 or 3. Distinguish from sense 1 (concern for suffering) which requires a misfortune.

Common Mistakes

I have a sympathy for her taste in music.' (sounds like sense 1)
There is a natural sympathy between us when it comes to music.
Use 'sympathy between' or 'in sympathy' for this shared-harmony sense.
Idioms

in sympathy with something

idiom

Happening at the same time and for the same reason as another event.

The company's stock fell in sympathy with the broader market decline.

Did the price of oil drop in sympathy with the economic news?

out of sympathy with somebody/something

idiom

Not supporting or agreeing with a person, idea, or plan.

Maya is out of sympathy with the new company policy.

The committee found itself out of sympathy with the proposed changes.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four words describe a response to someone else's suffering, but they differ in emotional distance and involvement. Sympathy (the most common and general term) means feeling sad or concerned for someone from an outside perspective — you care about their trouble but do not necessarily share the feeling yourself. Compassion goes a step further: it includes a strong desire to actively relieve the suffering, often leading to concrete help. Pity can carry a condescending tone, as if the person feeling pity is looking down on the sufferer — it is best avoided in sensitive contexts ('I pity you' can sound insulting). Empathy is the deepest form: the ability to imagine yourself in the other person's situation and actually share their emotional experience. For everyday use, sympathy is the safest and warmest choice. Example: 'I felt sympathy when I heard about your accident, and I have deep empathy for your daily struggle with recovery.'

sympathy ↗compassion ↗pity ↗empathy ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • in sympathy with
  • out of sympathy
  • a wave of sympathy
  • a degree of sympathy

Prepositions

Etymology

GreekLatinFrenchEnglish

The word 'sympathy' arrived in English through French 'sympathie,' which came from Latin 'sympathia,' ultimately from Greek 'sympatheia' — a combination of 'syn-' (together) and 'pathos' (feeling, emotion, or suffering). In ancient Greek, sympatheia originally described a cosmic principle of things that share the same nature being affected in the same way; over time it narrowed to the emotional connection between people that we recognize today.