sympathize

1 of 2

verb

sym·​pa·​thize ˈsim-pə-ˌthīz 

sympathized; sympathizing

intransitive verb

1

: to be in keeping, accord, or harmony

2

: to react or respond in sympathy

3

: to share in suffering or grief : commiserate

sympathize with a friend in trouble

also : to express such sympathy

4

: to be in sympathy intellectually

sympathize with a proposal

sympathizer noun

sympathizer

2 of 2

noun

sym·​pa·​thiz·​er

variants also British sympathiser

-zə(r)

plural -s

: one that sympathizes : one that acts or reacts in sympathy

strikers and their sympathizers

Synonyms of sympathize

Verb

• pity
• feel (for)
• bleed (for)

Examples of sympathize in a Sentence

Verb

I sympathize but how can I help?

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Only the most callous of viewers would fail to sympathize with goalkeeper Matt Turner after seeing an injury compounding the personal tragedy of his partner’s miscarriage. —Beau Dure, Forbes.com, 31 May 2026

Musk, who has dealt with his own spacecraft explosions, sympathized with Blue Origin's setback. —Amanda Lee Myers, USA Today, 29 May 2026

Joe sympathized with his younger brother. —Emlyn Travis, Entertainment Weekly, 28 May 2026

The video went viral on X, with an overwhelming majority of commenters sympathizing with the Domino's employee. —Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 26 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Verb

1598, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Rhymes for sympathize

• advertise
• aggrandize
• alibis
• alkalies
• alkalis
• amortize
• amplifies
• analyse
• analyze
• anywise
• authorize
• butterflies

Kids Definition

sympathize

verb

sym·​pa·​thize ˈsim-pə-ˌthīz 

sympathized; sympathizing

1

: to share in suffering or grief : to feel or show sympathy

2

: to be in favor of something

sympathizer noun