sympathetic

¹sym·pa·thet·ic

adjective \ˌsim-pə-ˈthe-tik\

Definition of SYMPATHETIC

1

: existing or operating through an affinity, interdependence, or mutual association

2

a : appropriate to one's mood, inclinations, or disposition

b : marked by kindly or pleased appreciation <the biographer's approach was sympathetic>

3

: given to, marked by, or arising from sympathy, compassion, friendliness, and sensitivity to others' emotions <a sympathetic gesture>

4

: favorably inclined : approving <not sympathetic to the idea>

5

a : showing empathy

b : arousing sympathy or compassion <a sympathetic role in the play>

6

a : of or relating to the sympathetic nervous system

b : mediated by or acting on the sympathetic nerves

7

: relating to musical tones produced by sympathetic vibration or to strings so tuned as to sound by sympathetic vibration

— sym·pa·thet·i·cal·ly \-ti-k(ə-)lē\ adverb

Examples of SYMPATHETIC

1. He received much help from sympathetic friends.
2. I didn't find the hero in the movie very sympathetic.

Origin of SYMPATHETIC

New Latin sympatheticus, from Latin sympathia sympathy

First Known Use: 1644

Related to SYMPATHETIC

Synonyms

commiserative, compassionate, empathetic, empathic, humane, understanding

Antonyms

callous, cold-blooded, coldhearted, hard, hard-hearted, heartless, inhuman, inhumane, insensate, obdurate, unfeeling, unsympathetic

Related Words

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

Near Antonyms

inconsiderate, insensitive, thoughtless, unthinking; aloof, cool, indifferent, uncaring, uninterested; unaffectionate, unfriendly, unloving; merciless, pitiless, ruthless; bigoted, blinkered, narrow-minded, small-minded; brutal, grim, hard-bitten, hard-boiled, harsh, oppressive, rough, severe, stern, tough, ungentle, unrelenting; abusive, acrimonious, disagreeable, hateful, hostile, ill-natured, ill-tempered, malevolent, malicious, mean, rancorous, spiteful, surly, unkind, virulent

Rhymes with SYMPATHETIC

alphabetic, anesthetic, apathetic, arithmetic, asyndetic, copacetic, diabetic, diarrhetic, diathetic, dietetic, digenetic, diphyletic, diuretic, empathetic, energetic, epithetic, geodetic, homiletic, Masoretic, nomothetic, synergetic, synesthetic

²sympathetic

noun

Definition of SYMPATHETIC

: a sympathetic structure; especially : sympathetic nervous system

First Known Use of SYMPATHETIC

1808

Other Anatomy Terms

bilateral symmetry, carotid, cartilage, dorsal, entrails, prehensile, renal, solar plexus, supine, thoracic, ventral

Rhymes with SYMPATHETIC

anesthetic, diabetic, diuretic