empathetic

adjective

em·​pa·​thet·​ic ˌem-pə-ˈthe-tik 

: involving, characterized by, or based on empathy

empathetically

ˌem-pə-ˈthe-ti-k(ə-)lē 

adverb

Synonyms of empathetic

• compassionate
• sympathetic

Examples of empathetic in a Sentence

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

Recent Examples on the Web

Maybe you were bounced between chatbots that couldn’t solve your problem, or you got stuck in a rigid workflow with no way out, desperately hunting for an empathetic human who could actually help. —Brad Anderson, Fortune, 17 Feb. 2026

To watch any one of Wiseman’s films is to fall under the spell of a master who used the medium to make the viewer a more empathetic and enlightened person, supplying the pleasure of watching human nature through the perceptive eye of a humorous, unpretentious man with insatiable curiosity. —Chris O'Falt, IndieWire, 16 Feb. 2026

Advisers had been encouraging the president to sound more empathetic toward struggling Americans. —Isaac Arnsdorf, Washington Post, 15 Feb. 2026

Aeryn is introduced as cold and relatively emotionless, while John is the more empathetic and caring of the pair. —Sergio Pereira, Space.com, 14 Feb. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1912, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for empathetic

• alphabetic
• anaesthetic
• anesthetic
• antithetic
• apathetic
• arithmetic
• cybernetic
• diabetic
• dietetic
• diuretic
• energetic
• geodetic