Synonyms for sympathy
ˈsɪm pə θisym·pa·thy

WiktionaryRate these synonyms:2.7 / 3 votes

1. sympathynoun

   Antonyms:
   contempt

2. sympathynoun

   Antonyms:
   contempt

3. sympathynoun

   Antonyms:
   contempt

4. sympathynoun

   Antonyms:
   contempt

English Synonyms and AntonymsRate these synonyms:3.5 / 2 votes

1. sympathy

   According to the etymology and original usage, beneficence is the doing well, benevolence the wishing or willing well to others; but benevolence has come to include beneficence, and to displace it. We should not now speak of benevolence which did not help, unless where there was no power to help; even then we should rather say good-will or sympathy. Charity, which originally meant the purest love for God and man (as in 1 Cor. xiii), is now almost universally applied to some form of almsgiving, and is much more limited in meaning than benevolence. Benignity suggests some occult power of blessing, such as was formerly ascribed to the stars; we may say a good man has an air of benignity. Kindness and tenderness are personal; benevolence and charity are general. Kindness extends to all sentient beings, whether men or animals, in prosperity or in distress. Tenderness especially goes out toward the young, feeble, and needy, or even to the dead. Humanity is so much kindness and tenderness toward man or beast as it would be inhuman not to have; we say of some act of care or kindness, "common humanity requires it." Generosity is self-forgetful kindness in disposition or action; it includes much besides giving; as, the generosity of forgiveness. Bounty applies to ample giving, which on a larger scale is expressed by munificence. Liberality indicates broad, genial kindly views, whether manifested in gifts or otherwise. We speak of the bounty of a generous host, the liberality or munificence of the founder of a college, or of the liberality of a theologian toward the holders of conflicting beliefs. Philanthropy applies to wide schemes for human welfare, often, but not always, involving large expenditures in charity or benevolence. Compare MERCY.

   Synonyms:
   almsgiving, beneficence, benevolence, benignity, bounty, charity, generosity, good-will, humanity, kind-heartedness, kindliness, kindness, liberality, munificence, philanthropy, unselfishness

   Antonyms:
   barbarity, brutality, churlishness, greediness, harshness, ill-will, illiberality, inhumanity, malevolence, malignity, niggardliness, self-seeking, selfishness, stinginess, unkindness

   Preposition:
   Benevolence of, on the part of, or from the wealthy, to or toward the poor.

Complete Dictionary of Synonyms and AntonymsRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. sympathy

   Synonyms:
   fellow-feeling, congeniality, commiseration, compassion, pity, concert, tenderness, agreement, condolence

   Antonyms:
   antipathy, antagonism, incongeniality, pitilessness, mercilessness, compassionlessness, unkindness, harshness, unkindliness

Princeton's WordNetRate these synonyms:2.0 / 1 vote

1. sympathy, understandingnoun

   an inclination to support or be loyal to or to agree with an opinion

   "his sympathies were always with the underdog"; "I knew I could count on his understanding"

   Synonyms:
   apprehension, intellect, savvy, fellow feeling, discernment, reason, understanding, agreement

2. sympathy, fellow feelingnoun

   sharing the feelings of others (especially feelings of sorrow or anguish)

   Synonyms:
   understanding, fellow feeling

3. sympathynoun

   a relation of affinity or harmony between people; whatever affects one correspondingly affects the other

   "the two of them were in close sympathy"

   Synonyms:
   understanding, fellow feeling

Matched Categories

1. • Affinity
   • Inclination

Dictionary of English SynonymesRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. sympathynoun

   Synonyms:
   compassion, commiseration, condolence, pity, tenderness, kindliness, fellow-feeling, bowels of compassion

2. sympathynoun

   Synonyms:
   agreement, harmony, correspondence, correlation, affinity, union, concert

3. sympathynoun

   Synonyms:
   mutual influence

Synonyms, Antonyms & Associated WordsRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. sympathynoun

   Synonyms:
   fellow-feeling, tenderness, pity, commiseration, compassion, condolence, accord, agreement, rapport, concord

   Antonyms:
   antipathy, incompassion, inclemency, disagreement, incompatibility

PPDB, the paraphrase databaseRate these paraphrases:0.0 / 0 votes

1. List of paraphrases for "sympathy":

   compassion, solidarity, sympathies, condolence, condolences, empathy, liking, affection, understanding, sympathetic, spite, compassionate, friendliness

Suggested Resources

1. Sympathy

   Sympathy vs. Empathy -- In this Grammar.com article you will learn the differences between the words Sympathy and Empathy.

How to pronounce sympathy?

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How to use sympathy in a sentence?

1. Benjamin Haydon:

   The longer a man lives in this world the more he must be convinced that all domestic quarrels had better never be obtruded on the public; for, let the husband be right, or let him be wrong, there is always a sympathy existing for women which is certain to give the man the worst of it.

2. Ashley Iaconetti:

   I am definitely used to talking about it on camera and wow, did I feel a lot of sympathy for Colton in that moment. It is so hard, you really do n’t even have any idea how awkward it is to talk about that and reveal that on camera unless you’ve done it.

3. Patrick Cantlay:

   Naturally, of course, there is some sympathy because you don’t want to see anybody have a bunch of people be against you or even be heckled.

4. Charles Darwin, The Descent of Man 1871:

   Man with all his noble qualities, with sympathy which feels for the most debased, with benevolence which extends not only to other men but to the humblest living creature, with his god-like intellect which has penetrated into the movements and constitution of the solar system- with all these exalted powers- Man still bears in his bodily frame the indelible stamp of his lowly origin.

5. Stephen Yates:

   I don't have particular sympathy for delegates who chose not to avail themselves of the opportunity in full committee, and then start spinning yarn about how this came about.