1
as in compassionate
having or showing the capacity for sharing the feelings of another
a sympathetic smile needed a sympathetic listener who would understand her marital woes
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in benevolent
having or marked by sympathy and consideration for others
a sympathetic store manager who let us use the telephone sympathetic letters from supporters after the disappointing verdict
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of sympathetic
Some members of the LPC were sympathetic, but in the end, the board voted to allow the addition, which met its requirements for being minimally visible from the street.
—
Kim Velsey, Curbed, 14 Aug. 2025
Expert observers supportive or at least sympathetic to Kyiv are deeply worried that these forays could expand into a full-scale breakthrough for the Kremlin.
—Alexander Smith, NBC news, 12 Aug. 2025
But one of them, proposing stronger penalties if the team fails to deliver on development commitments, drew a sympathetic response from the panel.
—Noah Trister, Fortune, 4 Aug. 2025
During World War II, America was also fighting Germany and Italy, but during the war, far fewer German and Italian non-citizen immigrants were interned than Japanese and those who were interned had been carefully vetted by the FBI as being sympathetic to their former homelands.
—Paul L. Newman, New York Daily News, 6 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sympathetic
Kim Velsey, Curbed, 14 Aug. 2025
Expert observers supportive or at least sympathetic to Kyiv are deeply worried that these forays could expand into a full-scale breakthrough for the Kremlin.
—Alexander Smith, NBC news, 12 Aug. 2025
But one of them, proposing stronger penalties if the team fails to deliver on development commitments, drew a sympathetic response from the panel.
—Noah Trister, Fortune, 4 Aug. 2025
During World War II, America was also fighting Germany and Italy, but during the war, far fewer German and Italian non-citizen immigrants were interned than Japanese and those who were interned had been carefully vetted by the FBI as being sympathetic to their former homelands.
—Paul L. Newman, New York Daily News, 6 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sympathetic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sympathetic
Adjective
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Safe, compassionate care is always our top priority.—
Cara Lynn Shultz,
People.com,
14 Aug. 2025
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The drama, which had its world premiere as a special gala at the Berlin international film festival in February, stars September 5 and Teacher’s Lounge actress Leonie Benesch as Floria, a compassionate nurse whose hectic late shift turns into a race against time amid chronic staff shortages.—
Scott Roxborough,
HollywoodReporter,
12 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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CEOs take on all sorts of personas, from the benevolent leader to the cutthroat business executive.—
Preston Fore,
Fortune,
10 Aug. 2025
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Its land is farmed communally, and its lord, Master Kent (Harry Melling), is a benevolent soul who prefers coaxing and rewarding to ordering and punishing.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
8 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Asked about Trump's relationship with her and with Epstein, Maxwell said Trump was always kind and cordial with her.—
Aysha Bagchi,
USA Today,
24 Aug. 2025
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Sweet, feisty, kind, smart, sensitive and spiritual.—
Natalia Senanayake,
People.com,
21 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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But there’s also a lot of thoughtful, poignant material about traditions, grief, childhood trauma, and the ways that family can be both the best and worst part of your life.—
Alan Sepinwall,
Rolling Stone,
22 Aug. 2025
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Being transparent, candid and frank about challenges while also putting them in context in a thoughtful way will have more impact than trying to massage the answer, which can create uncertainty or disbelief.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes.com,
22 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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The man who brought in Lazlo, along with another feline, told the humane society the cats lived in a hotel with him.—
Liz O'Connell,
MSNBC Newsweek,
23 Aug. 2025
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While humane in principle, this approach has been challenging to implement effectively on a national scale.—
Rhea Mogul,
CNN Money,
22 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sympathetic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sympathetic. Accessed 3 Sep. 2025.
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