SYMPATHY Synonyms: 63 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the noun 'sympathy' differ from other similar words?

The words affinity and attraction are common synonyms of sympathy . While all three words mean "the relationship existing between things or persons that are naturally or involuntarily drawn together," sympathy implies a reciprocal or natural relation between two things that are both susceptible to the same influence. // two minds in sympathy

Q: When might 'affinity' be a better fit than 'sympathy'?

The meanings of affinity and sympathy largely overlap; however, affinity implies a susceptibility or predisposition on the part of the one drawn. // an affinity for mathematics

Q: When is 'attraction' a more appropriate choice than 'sympathy'?

In some situations, the words attraction and sympathy are roughly equivalent. However, attraction implies the possession by one thing of a quality that pulls another to it. // felt an attraction to danger

sympathy

noun

ˈsim-pə-thē

Definition of sympathy next

as in compassion

sorrow or the capacity to feel sorrow for another's suffering or misfortune since losing her own brother to lung disease, the nurse has had greater sympathy for families going through the same agony

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in kindness

the capacity for feeling for another's unhappiness or misfortune the least you could do is have some sympathy for me if I have to stay home

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun sympathy differ from other similar words?

The words affinity and attraction are common synonyms of sympathy. While all three words mean "the relationship existing between things or persons that are naturally or involuntarily drawn together," sympathy implies a reciprocal or natural relation between two things that are both susceptible to the same influence.

two minds in sympathy

When might affinity be a better fit than sympathy?

The meanings of affinity and sympathy largely overlap; however, affinity implies a susceptibility or predisposition on the part of the one drawn.

an affinity for mathematics

When is attraction a more appropriate choice than sympathy?

In some situations, the words attraction and sympathy are roughly equivalent. However, attraction implies the possession by one thing of a quality that pulls another to it.

felt an attraction to danger

Examples Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of sympathy This sympathy wasn’t simply a fascination with human evil—with a death instinct—but an attraction to a deeper freedom, a more intense form of life than parliaments and pamphleteering offered. —

George Packer, The Atlantic, 5 Nov. 2024 Pickford does not disguise where his sympathies lie. —

Sam Knight, The New Yorker, 4 Nov. 2024 Platforms like TikTok, along with two Netflix series, have brought fresh attention and new sympathy to this Menendez movement. —

Jeetendr Sehdev, Forbes, 28 Oct. 2024 Riley also is filled with a new sympathy for anyone grasping for a semblance of normalcy when their world is upside down. —

Mackenzie Happe and Zoë Todd, CNN, 26 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for sympathy

Recent Examples of Synonyms for sympathy

Noun

The Jewish obligation to give, tzedakah, was the source of her compassion.

Lee Habeeb, Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2024
Our campaign stood on principles — that were fueled by the values of common sense, compassion and consensus.

Kaitlyn Schallhorn, Orange County Register, 5 Nov. 2024