empathetic

adjective

em·​pa·​thet·​ic ˌem-pə-ˈthe-tik 

: involving, characterized by, or based on empathy

empathetically

ˌem-pə-ˈthe-ti-k(ə-)lē 

adverb

Synonyms

• commiserative
• compassionate
• empathic
• humane
• sympathetic
• understanding

Examples of empathetic in a Sentence

an empathetic social worker who soon realized that the single mother was at her breaking point

Recent Examples on the Web

Snow White’s empathetic friendship with the apparently mute Dopey works like a charm, which compensates for the general comic unfunniness of the dwarfs chaos. —Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune, 19 Mar. 2025

Sons of Anarchy hulu Under the Bridge Year: 2024 Length: 1 season, 8 episodes Creator: Quinn Shephard Rebecca Godfrey’s non-fiction book of the same name gets an empathetic, moving adaptation with some of the best performances of 2024. —Brian Tallerico, Vulture, 18 Mar. 2025

The comments on the TikTok are full of affirmation for both the empathetic daughter and the mom who was humble enough to listen. —Devonne Goode, Parents, 14 Mar. 2025

According to Li Zhang, the study’s principal investigator and professor of physiology and neuroscience at the Keck School, numerous factors influence empathetic behavior and social bonding in mammals. —Discover Magazine, 11 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1912, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for empathetic

• alphabetic
• anaesthetic
• anesthetic
• antithetic
• apathetic
• arithmetic
• cybernetic
• diabetic
• dietetic
• diuretic
• energetic
• geodetic