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?

How to say sympathy in sign language?

Words popularity by usage frequency

How to use sympathy in a sentence?

1. Governor Tom Wolf:

   This moratorium is in no way an expression of sympathy for the guilty on death row, all of whom have been convicted of committing heinous crimes.

2. William Wordsworth:

   What though the radiance which was once so bright Be not forever taken from my sight, Though nothing can bring back the hour Of splendour in the grass, of glory in the flower Strength in what remains behind, In the primal sympathy Which having been must ever be, In the soothing thoughts that spring Out of Human suffering, In the faith that looks through death In years that bring philophic mind.

3. Gwen Carr:

   That was a real slap in the face. For you to say that there is not a big deal and my son laid dead on the ground, there was no sympathy, no empathy ; it was just business as usual. Eric's life doesn't mean anything to Eric Garners. Eric Garners was just another person that one of his officers had killed.

4. being human:

   most of the people need not be expect a sympathy but they want to accept their empathy ----- gentle

5. Jaxton Wheeler:

   My gay community friends please a life is lost and we gain nothing from anything but showing respect and sympathy, her fans and loved ones are upset, I'm sickened in my out of context comment. As I stated before anyone even made my tweet a thing.