sympathetic

¹sym·pa·thet·ic

adj \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

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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