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Definition of sympathetic
1 : existing or operating through an affinity, interdependence, or mutual association
2a : appropriate to one's mood, inclinations, or dispositionb : 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
5a : showing empathyb : arousing sympathy or compassion a sympathetic role in the play
6a : of or relating to the sympathetic nervous systemb : 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
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Examples of sympathetic in a Sentence
He received much help from sympathetic friends.
I didn't find the hero in the movie very sympathetic.
Recent Examples of sympathetic from the Web
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While pregnant women and children make sympathetic victims in Democratic campaign commercials, changes to Obamacare’s Medicaid expansion don’t apply to them, because the expansion didn’t apply to them in the first place.
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Vestager is sympathetic to these complaints, and she's expected to issue a remedy that curbs this lopsided arrangement without a rigid prescription, people familiar with the decision have said.
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The steamer was set on fire and cut loose to plunge over the falls along with the crew, which was sympathetic to the rebels.
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A film like this one (or Cold Mountain)—with its period detail, sympathetic characters, and picking and choosing of history—is its own type of monument to the confederacy.
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Gaines will likely find a sympathetic ear in Minneapolis, where the Timberwolves are run by Tom Thibodeau, who was fired as the Bulls' head coach after the 2014-15 season.
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Kennedy, on the other hand, presents an imbalance not even the most sympathetic writer can fully right.
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Home Secretary Amber Rudd is also viewed as being sympathetic to that approach.
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His father listened to him vent but was not sympathetic.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'sympathetic'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of sympathetic
New Latin sympatheticus, from Latin sympathia sympathy
sympathetic
Definition of sympathetic
: a sympathetic structure; especially : sympathetic nervous system
First Known Use of sympathetic
1808
Other Anatomy Terms
SYMPATHETIC Defined for English Language Learners
sympathetic
playDefinition of sympathetic for English Language Learners
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: feeling or showing concern about someone who is in a bad situation : having or showing feelings of sympathy
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: having or showing support for or approval of something
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: having pleasant or appealing qualities : causing feelings of sympathy
SYMPATHETIC Defined for Kids
sympathetic
playDefinition of sympathetic for Students
1 : feeling or showing care or understanding I received help from sympathetic friends.
2 : feeling favorable They're not sympathetic to the idea.
sympathetically
\-ti-kə-lē\ adverb She listened sympathetically.Medical Dictionary
sympathetic
Medical Definition of sympathetic
: a sympathetic structure; especially : sympathetic nervous system
Learn More about sympathetic
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See words that rhyme with sympathetic Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for sympathetic Spanish Central: Translation of sympathetic Nglish: Translation of sympathetic for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of sympathetic for Arabic speakers
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