as in sympathizing
to have the same feelings as another person; to feel empathy for someone
—often + with
He learned to empathize with the poor.
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Recent Examples of empathizing
Teammate Malinin, who also had a number of uncharacteristic mistakes in his free program and fell from first to eighth in the men’s event, watched in surprise in the arena, empathizing with the disbelief and pain on Glenn’s face.
—
Alice Park, Time, 18 Feb. 2026
For the growing Muslim community in the Bay Area, abstaining from eating or drinking during the day is regarded as an act of worship by practicing self-restraint, growing closer to God and empathizing with people who are poor and hungry.
—Nollyanne Delacruz, Mercury News, 18 Feb. 2026
The devout see benefits, including practicing self-restraint, cultivating gratitude and empathizing with people who are poor and hungry.
—Mariam Fam, Los Angeles Times, 17 Feb. 2026
Whatever your preconceived notions about Feldman are, Hume’s film will expand and challenge them; the movie’s greatness lies in its ability to capture all of Feldman’s contradictions and self-destructiveness, empathizing with him without soft-pedaling his sins.
—Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 23 Jan. 2026
Desai does have a Tolstoyan talent for both empathizing with and skewering the upper classes from within.
—Sanjena Sathian, Vulture, 23 Sep. 2025
That is, if a child is not well-loved, or does not routinely experience others empathizing with his or her distress, then that child will learn to fear and suspect others and will be lacking empathic skills.
—Howard Steele, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Aug. 2025
The response was either reinforcing the emotion by agreeing and empathizing or reinterpreting the situation to help the person see it differently.
—Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 26 Aug. 2025
In his bite-sized segments on YouTube, Caprio is often seen empathizing with those in his courtroom.
—Jason Ma, Fortune, 23 Aug. 2025
Alice Park, Time, 18 Feb. 2026
For the growing Muslim community in the Bay Area, abstaining from eating or drinking during the day is regarded as an act of worship by practicing self-restraint, growing closer to God and empathizing with people who are poor and hungry.
—Nollyanne Delacruz, Mercury News, 18 Feb. 2026
The devout see benefits, including practicing self-restraint, cultivating gratitude and empathizing with people who are poor and hungry.
—Mariam Fam, Los Angeles Times, 17 Feb. 2026
Whatever your preconceived notions about Feldman are, Hume’s film will expand and challenge them; the movie’s greatness lies in its ability to capture all of Feldman’s contradictions and self-destructiveness, empathizing with him without soft-pedaling his sins.
—Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 23 Jan. 2026
Desai does have a Tolstoyan talent for both empathizing with and skewering the upper classes from within.
—Sanjena Sathian, Vulture, 23 Sep. 2025
That is, if a child is not well-loved, or does not routinely experience others empathizing with his or her distress, then that child will learn to fear and suspect others and will be lacking empathic skills.
—Howard Steele, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Aug. 2025
The response was either reinforcing the emotion by agreeing and empathizing or reinterpreting the situation to help the person see it differently.
—Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 26 Aug. 2025
In his bite-sized segments on YouTube, Caprio is often seen empathizing with those in his courtroom.
—Jason Ma, Fortune, 23 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for empathizing
Verb
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Susan Selasky turns cauliflower into something rich and comforting in this easy recipe.—
Monti Carlo,
AJC.com,
18 Feb. 2026
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The investigation can’t help but feel dehumanizing, despite Amanda comforting her while doctors examine her in carefully clinical ways.—
Siddhant Adlakha,
Variety,
17 Feb. 2026
Verb
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During the closing minutes of the women’s figure skating free skate last Thursday, the American was hugging and consoling two Japanese competitors whose results fell short of their respective expectations.—
Sara Germano,
Sportico.com,
23 Feb. 2026
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Despite nearly losing his business, Schoen’s main goal that day — and ever since — has been helping and consoling other victims, his daughter said.—
Abrielle Kate Maddison,
Austin American Statesman,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Bowman made Bowden wait most of the day before reassuring he was always bound for USC.—
Ryan Kartje,
Los Angeles Times,
16 Feb. 2026
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Conference chair Wolfgang Ischinger said afterward that the remarks were widely seen as reassuring.—
Olivia Gazis,
CBS News,
14 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Upon full passage, the law could trigger immediate mass liberations, with National Assembly President Jorge Rodríguez assuring families that releases would occur swiftly post-approval.—
Alessandra Freitas,
CNN Money,
20 Feb. 2026
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Bondi answered by assuring McBath that both cases are under investigation.—
Brady Knox,
The Washington Examiner,
11 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Empathizing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/empathizing. Accessed 25 Feb. 2026.
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