1
as in compassionate
having or showing the capacity for sharing the feelings of another
a sympathetic smile needed a sympathetic listener who would understand her marital woes
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in benevolent
having or marked by sympathy and consideration for others
a sympathetic store manager who let us use the telephone sympathetic letters from supporters after the disappointing verdict
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of sympathetic
The portrayal is sympathetic and mostly leads to an internal conflict for Fleur that’s captured well.
—
Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 6 Sep. 2025
With its buzzy energy and sympathetic — if bumbling — criminals, Lumet withholds crucial information from the viewer until the final portion of the film.
—Christina Newland, Vulture, 5 Sep. 2025
McEwen was sympathetic and responded in force, requesting three times that the FBI get involved.
—Bjorn Dihle, Outdoor Life, 4 Sep. 2025
Han has used centuries of philosophy to deconstruct the current ennui of life online, but Pettman’s writing is more personal and sympathetic than Han’s aphoristic, self-effacing mode.
—Kyle Chayka, New Yorker, 3 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sympathetic
Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 6 Sep. 2025
With its buzzy energy and sympathetic — if bumbling — criminals, Lumet withholds crucial information from the viewer until the final portion of the film.
—Christina Newland, Vulture, 5 Sep. 2025
McEwen was sympathetic and responded in force, requesting three times that the FBI get involved.
—Bjorn Dihle, Outdoor Life, 4 Sep. 2025
Han has used centuries of philosophy to deconstruct the current ennui of life online, but Pettman’s writing is more personal and sympathetic than Han’s aphoristic, self-effacing mode.
—Kyle Chayka, New Yorker, 3 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sympathetic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sympathetic
Adjective
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In all of those cases, the patients had run out of other options, and the organs were transplanted not through a standard clinical trial, but under special rules that permit compassionate use of experimental therapies for people in especially dire situations.—
Nadia Kounang,
CNN Money,
8 Sep. 2025
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Pure techno-solutionism falls short; building compassionate, regenerative AI demands philosophical and ethical rigor alongside technical excellence.—
Cornelia C. Walther,
Forbes.com,
7 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The researchers call their approach a form of benevolent hacking that helps strengthen AI systems before weaknesses can be exploited.—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
7 Sep. 2025
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The social politics of these movies have never been great — the real-life Warrens were, by all accounts, pretty shitty people and not the gorgeous, benevolent forces portrayed by Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson — but that’s easily dismissed in the name of movie magic.—
Emily Palmer Heller,
Vulture,
5 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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There's fanfare and unique vendors at every corner, so embrace the journey and be kind to others while shopping, both vendors and other shoppers.—
Jennifer Prince,
Southern Living,
6 Sep. 2025
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Continuing the Scandinavian stereotype, the Finnish community is similarly kind and welcoming to visitors.—
Kate McGregor,
Architectural Digest,
6 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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An amicable run-in with his ex-wife in this episode has the same thoughtful feeling.—
Ben Rosenstock,
Vulture,
10 Sep. 2025
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Her solution is to be thoughtful and focused on the right risks and opportunities.—
Jack McCullough,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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This isn't to say that Raskin's quest for a truly humane computer has completely come to naught.—
Cameron Kaiser,
ArsTechnica,
12 Sep. 2025
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Family Matters offers something radical and profoundly humane in a field where so much emphasis is placed on the one who struggles with addiction.—
Lyssanoel Frater,
USA Today,
9 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sympathetic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sympathetic. Accessed 13 Sep. 2025.
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