sympathy
B2 (Upper-Intermediate). A high-frequency noun in spoken and written English.Neutral to formal. Common in both everyday conversation and formal writing.
Definition
Meaning
A feeling of pity, sorrow, or compassion for another person's suffering or misfortune.
1) Agreement with or understanding of another person's feelings, opinions, or situation; a sense of shared feeling. 2) A state of mutual harmony or support, especially in political or group contexts.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Focuses on emotional resonance, not necessarily active help. It implies a capacity to share or understand the feelings of another. Can sometimes imply pity, which may be viewed as condescending.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No major differences in meaning. Minor differences in typical phrasal patterns (e.g., 'sympathy with' may be slightly more common in UK English in political contexts).
Connotations
In both varieties, strong associations with bereavement and condolences.
Frequency
Equally common in both varieties.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
sympathy for [someone/something]sympathy with [a cause/idea]in sympathy without of sympathy forVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “to have/feel no sympathy for someone”
- “to be in sympathy with”
- “a sympathy strike (a strike in support of other workers)”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Used in HR contexts regarding employee welfare or during corporate statements of condolence ('The company expresses its deepest sympathy to the family').
Academic
Used in literary analysis (e.g., 'narrative sympathy for a character'), sociology, and political science ('public sympathy for a movement').
Everyday
Commonly used when discussing personal problems, illness, or bereavement ('I have a lot of sympathy for her situation').
Technical
Used in psychology and counselling to denote a foundational therapeutic attitude, often contrasted with the more specific 'empathy'.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- I really sympathise with your point of view.
- The union voted to sympathise with the strikers by taking action.
American English
- I really sympathize with your position on this.
- We sympathize, but we cannot change the policy.
adverb
British English
- He listened sympathetically to my story.
- The court may look more sympathetically on a first-time offender.
American English
- She nodded sympathetically as I explained.
- The proposal was received sympathetically by the committee.
adjective
British English
- She gave me a very sympathetic look.
- The reviewer was broadly sympathetic to the author's argument.
American English
- He was sympathetic to our cause.
- I found a sympathetic ear in the counsellor.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- I feel sympathy for the lost puppy.
- She offered her sympathy when my cat was sick.
- The whole town expressed its sympathy for the family.
- I have no sympathy for people who don't try to help themselves.
- Public sympathy for the strikers began to wane as the disruption continued.
- Her speech was designed to elicit sympathy from the jury.
- His political philosophy found little sympathy among the party's traditionalists.
- The character's moral ambiguity complicates the reader's sense of sympathy.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of 'SYM' (together) + 'PATHY' (feeling/suffering) = feeling together with someone in their suffering.
Conceptual Metaphor
SYMPATHY IS A BOND/CONNECTION (e.g., 'a bond of sympathy', 'to feel a connection with').
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid confusing with 'сочувствие' (which is a good translation) and 'симпатия' (which translates as 'liking' or 'attraction'). 'Sympathy' is not romantic attraction.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'sympathy' interchangeably with 'empathy'. Sympathy is feeling *for* someone; empathy is feeling *with* them. Confusing prepositions: 'I feel sympathy to you' (incorrect) vs. 'I feel sympathy for you' (correct).
Practice
Quiz
Which of the following best captures the core distinction between 'sympathy' and 'empathy'?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Sympathy is feeling compassion, sorrow, or pity for another person's misfortune. Empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings of another, essentially putting yourself 'in their shoes'. Sympathy is more external (feeling for them), while empathy is more internal (feeling with them).
Yes, especially in the context of offering condolences for a death. 'My sympathies' or 'my deepest sympathies' is a common and polite phrase.
Yes, in some contexts. If someone says 'I don't want your sympathy', it can imply that sympathy is seen as pity, which can feel patronising or belittling, rather than as supportive understanding.
The most common preposition is 'for' (sympathy for someone). 'With' is also used, especially when indicating agreement or support for ideas or a cause (sympathy with their aims). 'In' is used in phrases like 'in sympathy with'.
Collections
Part of a collection
Personality Traits
B1 · 36 words · Describing character and personal qualities.
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