1
as in compassion
sorrow or the capacity to feel sorrow for another's suffering or misfortune
since losing her own brother to lung disease, the nurse has had greater sympathy for families going through the same agony
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in kindness
the capacity for feeling for another's unhappiness or misfortune
the least you could do is have some sympathy for me if I have to stay home
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of sympathy
Wally somewhat anachronistically glides through the all-white club, able to garner sympathy from other players with a story about a rider skipping out on the fare and attacking him.
—
Jeff Ihaza, Rolling Stone, 29 Dec. 2025
Beyond being symbols of tranquility and sympathy, peace lilies also bring lush, jungle-like greenery indoors.
—Rachel Gillett, Martha Stewart, 29 Dec. 2025
Forming a genuine connection to Alexander, or feeling sympathy for him, is a stretch because the character remains wooden, never fully realized.
—Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 27 Dec. 2025
For the few in Colorado’s building who’ve passed through the ECHL on their way to a first-place NHL team, experiences like that color the sympathy and disappointment felt as a players strike looms in the developmental professional league.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 23 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sympathy
Jeff Ihaza, Rolling Stone, 29 Dec. 2025
Beyond being symbols of tranquility and sympathy, peace lilies also bring lush, jungle-like greenery indoors.
—Rachel Gillett, Martha Stewart, 29 Dec. 2025
Forming a genuine connection to Alexander, or feeling sympathy for him, is a stretch because the character remains wooden, never fully realized.
—Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 27 Dec. 2025
For the few in Colorado’s building who’ve passed through the ECHL on their way to a first-place NHL team, experiences like that color the sympathy and disappointment felt as a players strike looms in the developmental professional league.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 23 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sympathy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sympathy
Noun
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Similarly, unhoused patients are either sources of spectacle (the first season’s man with rats nesting in his clothing) or figures whose primary function is to showcase the nurses’ compassion.—
Nicholas Quah,
Vulture,
6 Jan. 2026
-
With the perfect blend of dark humor and compassion for her characters, Schumacher writes of the absurdity of the human experience.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
6 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
For months afterward, kindness arrived in unexpected forms — neighbors bringing food, strangers offering furniture, friends calling daily.—
Jonathan Taplin,
Rolling Stone,
7 Jan. 2026
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Does their lack of kindness grant you permission to respond with equal insensitivity or even cruelty?—
Michael Isaacson,
Sun Sentinel,
6 Jan. 2026
Noun
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One of the biggest things is carrying the weight of the empathy, of feeling people’s issues or how people feel.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
7 Jan. 2026
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Featuring families across Ireland, Spain, and America, Tóibín is an author with incredible empathy for the human condition and these stories will be a perfect read for anyone who cares about the short story form.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
6 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Kipling City Pack Backpack Pocket space is at the very heart of this backpack’s design, which has over five different compartments on the interior and exterior.—
Michelle Baricevic,
Travel + Leisure,
9 Jan. 2026
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What the museum dream team did not see was the pain in our hearts about this jail.—
Dorothy Jenkins Fields,
Miami Herald,
9 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Their tone held no plea, nor wish for pity.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
6 Jan. 2026
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Posting for Pity My grandmother always said nobody likes a pity party—and etiquette expert Jodi RR Smith agrees.—
Alexandra Emanuelli,
Southern Living,
27 Dec. 2025
Noun
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In Season 2, expect Pine to confront those feelings head-on, thanks to another likeminded arms dealer and alluring femme fatale who put him in the crosshairs again.—
Jake Kring-Schreifels,
Time,
9 Jan. 2026
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In our current environment, Le Bon’s rejection and isolation beget feelings of collective consolation and warm comfort.—
Bob Gendron,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sympathy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sympathy. Accessed 10 Jan. 2026.
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