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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Cooked with cabbage, celery, onions, and sausage, this old-school recipe comes together in 35 minutes and makes for comforting dish this season.—
Kimberly Holland,
Southern Living,
9 Mar. 2026
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White amber and musk cocoon you in a close, comforting scent bubble.—
Ariel Wodarcyk,
InStyle,
9 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The close-ups of the fans who did stay in pain, looking away in disgust and consoling one another, were powerful.—
Joe Prince-Wright,
NBC news,
13 Mar. 2026
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State media has repeatedly shown Kim honoring returning North Korean soldiers who fought for Russia and consoling the families of those killed.—
Will Ripley,
CNN Money,
26 Feb. 2026
Verb
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For families Families were flitting around the lobby, pool terrace, and elevators throughout my stay, so rest assured that this is a great spot to bring the kids—not to mention that the attached shopping mall and exceptionally safe surrounding neighborhood are reassuring for any parent.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
12 Mar. 2026
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June 21 – July 22 Your presence sets a gentle, reassuring tone.—
Tarot.com,
Hartford Courant,
10 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Kennedy responded to Healey’s X post with one of his own on Thursday, assuring Healey and Bay State residents that Dunkin’ is not going anywhere.—
Tim Dunn,
Boston Herald,
6 Mar. 2026
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Several homeless residents have also filed complaints against San Jose, accusing the city of lacking due process and even deliberately destroying thousands of dollars’ worth of items even while assuring the owners that their belongings were safe.—
Devan Patel,
Mercury News,
4 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Empathizing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/empathizing. Accessed 18 Mar. 2026.
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