Synonyms of empathetic

empathetic

adjective

ˌem-pə-ˈthe-tik 

as in compassionate

having or showing the capacity for sharing the feelings of another

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• compassionate
• sympathetic
• empathic
• humane
• understanding
• gentle
• loving
• affectionate
• warm
• benevolent
• commiserative
• feeling
• perceptive
• sensitive
• gracious
• merciful
• considerate
• friendly
• kind
• charitable
• magnanimous
• kindly
• kindhearted
• tolerant
• lenient
• pitying
• softhearted
• good-natured
• warmhearted
• tenderhearted
• congenial
• bighearted
• cordial
• benignant
• tender
• good-tempered
• largehearted
• genial
• well-disposed
• clement
• ruthful

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• unsympathetic
• callous
• heartless
• inhuman
• hard
• unfeeling
• insensitive
• obdurate
• inhumane
• indifferent
• thoughtless
• cold-blooded
• aloof
• insensate
• unthinking
• inconsiderate
• uncaring
• cool
• uninterested
• coldhearted
• hard-hearted
• unfriendly
• ruthless
• pitiless
• unloving
• merciless
• severe
• bigoted
• tough
• brutal
• stern
• harsh
• hostile
• unaffectionate
• oppressive
• grim
• unrelenting
• abusive
• rough
• unkind
• malicious
• spiteful
• ungentle
• disagreeable
• surly
• hateful
• malevolent
• virulent
• mean
• blinkered
• acrimonious
• narrow-minded
• rancorous
• small-minded
• hard-bitten
• hard-boiled
• ill-tempered
• ill-natured

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of empathetic

His debut, Tony (2009), was an empathetic study of a down-at-heel London serial killer, while Hyena was much on the nose, being the Bad Lieutenant-style story of a corrupt cop working in the capital’s drug squad. —Damon Wise, Deadline, 9 Mar. 2025

For Students for Justice in Palestine to gather on the memorial of that day to honor Hamas terrorists who died after committing unspeakable atrocities should be horrifying to any empathetic person. —Ellia M Torkian, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Mar. 2025

Sean Baker, a maverick hailed for his empathetic portraits of working-class outsiders, took home honors for original screenplay, editing and direction. —Daniel Arkin, NBC News, 3 Mar. 2025

The series is less effectively empathetic toward the victim or toward the plight of adolescent girls — though perhaps that’s a reflection of societal indifference. —Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 6 Mar. 2025