Synonyms of sympathy

sympathy

noun

ˈsim-pə-thē 

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

• compassion
• empathy
• feeling
• commiseration
• regret
• kindness
• pity
• condolence
• mercy
• generosity
• understanding
• sensitivity
• affinity
• humanity
• humaneness
• ruth
• rapport
• kindliness
• goodwill
• magnanimity
• altruism
• benevolence
• kindheartedness
• humanitarianism
• benignity
• warmheartedness
• largesse
• softheartedness
• philanthropy
• charity
• largeheartedness
• bigheartedness

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• indifference
• callousness
• heartlessness
• cruelty
• insensitivity
• hatred
• unconcern
• hostility
• coldheartedness
• inhumanity
• hard-heartedness
• animosity
• harshness
• antipathy
• dislike

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

• kindness
• compassion
• heart
• pity
• feelings
• feeling
• mercy
• generosity
• commiseration
• humanity
• sensitivity
• ruth
• kindliness
• responsiveness
• kindheartedness
• good-heartedness
• affection
• charity
• empathy
• warmheartedness
• regard
• love
• largeheartedness
• softheartedness
• sensibility
• bigheartedness
• affinity
• rapport
• goodwill
• altruism
• humanism
• humaneness
• benevolence
• humanitarianism
• benignity
• philanthropy
• benignancy

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• indifference
• inhumanity
• coldness
• disinterest
• cruelty
• callousness
• unconcern
• hatred
• mercilessness
• pitilessness
• hostility
• coldheartedness
• animosity
• hard-heartedness
• harshness
• inhumanness
• antipathy
• dislike

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun sympathy differ from other similar words?

The words affinity and attraction are common synonyms of sympathy. While all three words mean "the relationship existing between things or persons that are naturally or involuntarily drawn together," sympathy implies a reciprocal or natural relation between two things that are both susceptible to the same influence.

two minds in sympathy

When might affinity be a better fit than sympathy?

The meanings of affinity and sympathy largely overlap; however, affinity implies a susceptibility or predisposition on the part of the one drawn.

an affinity for mathematics

When is attraction a more appropriate choice than sympathy?

In some situations, the words attraction and sympathy are roughly equivalent. However, attraction implies the possession by one thing of a quality that pulls another to it.

felt an attraction to danger

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of sympathy

Maybe the lesson is not to swing from sympathy to judgment depending on the news cycle. —Raechal Shewfelt, Entertainment Weekly, 10 Mar. 2026

Dean had previously expressed sympathy with some internal concerns about military AI and surveillance after employees were circulating letters calling for clearer limits on how their employer works with the military. —Mackenzie Sigalos, CNBC, 10 Mar. 2026

Here, everyone gets a little too much sympathy — and tragedy. —Emma Alpern, Vulture, 10 Mar. 2026

Sometimes sympathy can feel very manipulative to me in movies, and most of the time, not really earned. —Outside, 10 Mar. 2026