simpatico

adjective

sim·pa·ti·co sim-ˈpä-ti-ˌkō

-ˈpa-

: agreeable, likable

The Bachelor Duke was a highly simpatico figure, kind, humane, civilized—qualities that it is often difficult to recapture in a historical biography.—

John Martin Robinson

: having shared qualities, interests, etc. : like-minded, sympathetic

These two artists are simpatico. Carlson, like Sorolla, works out-of-doors, directly from his subject …—

Kay Mayer

Andrea Sand's group of older mothers are simpatico because of their common age and experience.—

Barbara Hey

With the patronage of a simpatico Reagan, Casey took in hand a diminished CIA and molded it into a high-tech agency …—

William L. Chaze et al.

Did you know?

Simpatico, which derives from the Greek noun sympatheia, meaning "sympathy," was borrowed into English from both Italian and Spanish. In those languages, the word has been chiefly used to describe people who are well-liked or easy to get along with; early uses of the word in English reflected this, as in Henry James's 1881 novel The Portrait of a Lady, in which a character says of another's dying cousin, "Ah, he was so simpatico. I’m awfully sorry for you." In recent years, however, the word's meaning has shifted. Now we see it used to describe the relationship between people who get along well or work well together.

Examples of simpatico in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web With their simpatico rhythms, the two demonstrate the art of great comedic pairings: Rannells’ tightly-wound, cool earnestness perfectly counterbalances Gad’s hot-mess of anxieties. —

Frank Rizzo, Variety, 12 Oct. 2023 Maxwell’s simpatico opening act was SiR. Strolling onstage to enthusiastic yells, the Inglewood, Calif., native kept the audience engaged from start to finish with his soulful tenor that carries a pleasing hint of roughness. —

Gail Mitchell, Billboard, 3 Sep. 2019 Probably that’s why Zack automatically figured Tom Waits would totally understand and relate and automatically be super simpatico. —

Bart Bull, Spin, 8 Aug. 2023 Prince-Bythewood and Winbush are immediately simpatico, so that keeps her invested. —

Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 12 July 2023 The actor and the director’s simpatico sensibilities are once again palpable in this new relationship dramedy. —

Tomris Laffly, Harper's BAZAAR, 31 May 2023 The music of both bands is sufficiently simpatico that Phish guitarist Trey Anastasio sat in with Goose at a Radio City Music Hall gig and chose the band as the opening act for his 2022 fall solo tour. —

George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Apr. 2023 Oboist Cassie Pilgrim and cellist Sarah Lewis were impressively simpatico, whether uniting for pulsating percussive rhythms or engaging in lyrical reveries. —

Rob Hubbard, Star Tribune, 10 May 2021 White House loyalties, that is, lie mainly with fossil fuel executives, whose interests aren’t exactly simpatico with those of their employees. —

Kate Aronoff, The New Republic, 19 May 2020 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'simpatico.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.