sympathize

play

verb sym·pa·thize \ ˈsim-pə-ˌthīz \

Definition of sympathize

sympathized; sympathizing

intransitive verb

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

—

sympathizer

noun

See sympathize defined for English-language learners

See sympathize defined for kids

Examples of sympathize in a Sentence

I sympathize but how can I help?

Recent Examples of sympathize from the Web

Readers sympathized with Daniel and his slow assimilation to suburban life after his mother’s disappearance.

— kaite mediatore stover, kansascity, "‘The Leavers’ gives FYI Book Club readers a glimpse into immigrants’ plight," 25 Aug. 2017
In Tuesday's remarks, Trump also sympathized with protesters seeking to keep Lee's statue in place but offered no equivalent remarks for those who favored its removal.

— reuters, Fortune, "Trump Again Blames Both Sides for Virginia, Reigniting a Political Firestorm," 16 Aug. 2017
While some groups in attendance openly identified themselves as fascists or sympathize with fascists, there's debate over how many would actually consider themselves as such.

— lily herman, Teen Vogue, "Fascism, Explained," 16 Aug. 2017
Despite this, people continue to sympathize with Richmond.

— suzannah weiss, Glamour, "Students Launch Petition to Kick Steubenville Rapist Off Universitly Football Team," 8 Aug. 2017
Readers today say that the book still offers remarkable insights into human behavior and sheds light on why people might, for instance, sympathize with terrorists or support a dangerous demagogue as a national leader.

— brad tuttle, SI.com, "Here Are the Four Books Mark Cuban Is Reading This Summer," 1 Aug. 2017
Even socialists and liberals who sympathized with the Communists to one extent or another had a vocabulary to distinguish themselves.

— dan mclaughlin, National Review, "Anti-Radical Muslims Need to Organize and Draw Lines," 20 July 2017
If last election vote totals are to be believed, then 53 percent of white women in America voted for the sexist-in-chief, yet 100 percent of white women also sympathize with the fictional white-lady slaves in The Handmaid’s Tale.

— stephen a. crockett jr., The Root, "53 Percent of White Women Voted for Trump, Who Just Told France’s First Lady: ‘You’re in Such Good Shape ... Beautiful’," 14 July 2017
The two men alternately marveled at Donald Jr.'s decisionmaking, sympathized with his presumably-apoplectic lawyers, and otherwise expressed their genuine bewilderment with the entire thing.

— jay willis, GQ, "Watch John Oliver and Stephen Colbert Barely Hold It Together Talking About Donald Trump Jr.," 13 July 2017

These 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.

First Known Use of sympathize

1600

SYMPATHIZE Defined for English Language Learners

sympathize

play

verb

Definition of sympathize for English Language Learners

: 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

SYMPATHIZE Defined for Kids

sympathize

play

verb sym·pa·thize \ ˈsim-pə-ˌthīz \

Definition of sympathize for Students

sympathized; sympathizing

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

Learn More about sympathize

See words that rhyme with sympathize Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for sympathize Spanish Central: Translation of sympathize Nglish: Translation of sympathize for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of sympathize for Arabic speakers

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sympathize

Definition of sympathize

sympathizer

Examples of sympathize in a Sentence

Recent Examples of sympathize from the Web

First Known Use of sympathize

SYMPATHIZE Defined for English Language Learners

sympathize

Definition of sympathize for English Language Learners

SYMPATHIZE Defined for Kids

sympathize

Definition of sympathize for Students

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sympathize

Definition of sympathize

sympathizer

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First Known Use of sympathize

SYMPATHIZE Defined for English Language Learners

sympathize

Definition of sympathize for English Language Learners

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sympathize

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