sympathize
verb
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Definition of sympathize
1 : to be in keeping, accord, or harmony
2 : to react or respond in sympathy
3 : to share in suffering or grief : commiserate sympathize with a friend in trouble also : to express such sympathy
4 : to be in sympathy intellectually sympathize with a proposal
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Examples of sympathize in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Trump is not only a woman-hating, neo-Nazi-sympathizing sociopath. — David Lammy, Time, "I'm a British Lawmaker. Here's Why I’m Protesting Trump’s Visit to the U.K.," 10 July 2018 This was a killer who got off on violence, but because of his backstory—and the inherent likability of Guillermo Díaz (who gave a great performance)—we sympathized with him. — Rachel Epstein, Marie Claire, "The 'Scandal' Crew on Their Favorite Scenes of All Time," 19 Apr. 2018 As if the cops would sympathize with him. Sheikh says others on the bus averted their gaze. — Erik Lacitis, The Seattle Times, "‘Can I help?’ Bystander training program teaches people how to stand up for others," 14 Jan. 2018 Analysts say Petro's candidacy is an important development in a country where more than five decades of conflict against rebels created a stigma around any candidate who appeared to sympathize with leftist causes. — NBC News, "Former guerrilla, young conservative vie to lead Colombia," 17 June 2018 Analysts say Petro’s candidacy is an important development in a country where more than five decades of conflict against rebels created a stigma around any candidate who appeared to sympathize with leftist causes. — Washington Post, "Former guerrilla, young conservative vie to lead Colombia," 17 June 2018 Does Layton want the viewer to sympathize with these people? — David Sims, The Atlantic, "The Slick but Empty True Crime of American Animals," 1 June 2018 Gissel turned to Dees, who brought star power and deep pockets to bear against the Nazi-sympathizing Aryans. — Sven Berg, idahostatesman, "These churches are "hate groups," a watchdog says. But what's really behind that label?," 24 Apr. 2018 Al-Shabab has brutally clamped down on signs of ISIS sympathizing within its ranks. — Conor Gaffey, Newsweek, "ISIS or Al-Qaeda? Somalia’s Al-Shabab Divided Over Allegiance," 25 Nov. 2015These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'sympathize.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for sympathize
sympathize
verb
English Language Learners Definition of sympathize
: to feel sorry for someone who is in a bad situation : to feel sympathy for someone because you understand that person's problems
: to feel or show support for or approval of something
See the full definition for sympathize in the English Language Learners Dictionary
sympathize
verb
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Kids Definition of sympathize
1 : to feel or show pity or care and understanding for We sympathize with the family in its sorrow.
2 : to be in favor of something … no one sympathized with him in his little attempts to discover a quiet place for the seals.— Rudyard Kipling, The Jungle Book
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