sympatheticadjective
uk/ˌsɪm.pəˈθet.ɪk/us/ˌsɪm.pəˈθet̬.ɪk/sympathetic adjective (UNDERSTANDING)
B2 used to describe someone who shows, especially by what they say, that they understand and care about someone else's suffering:
He suffers from back trouble too, so he was very sympathetic about my problem.
She just needed someone who would lend a sympathetic ear to her (= listen to her in a kind and understanding way) once in a while.
Opposite
unsympathetic
If a character in a book or film is sympathetic, they are described or shown in such a way that you are able to understand the character's feelings, with the result that you like them:
She comes across as a more sympathetic character in the movie.
More examples
- You'd think his children would be more sympathetic towards him after all he's gone through .
- She tried to use a sympathetic tone of voice.
- Never having been ill himself, he wasn't a sympathetic listener.
- I tried to tell her about the awful day I'd had, but she wasn't very sympathetic.
- Claire's always one to lend a sympathetic ear if you have problems.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Sympathy & compassion
- a good listener idiom
- a shoulder to cry on idiom
- aw
- bad/hard/tough luck! idiom
- better luck next time idiom
- cloud
- feel for sb
- fellow feeling
- go out to sb
- hard luck! idiom
- hard/tough cheese! idiom
- pity
- poor
- relate
- relate to sb
- sad
- sensitive
- shoulder
- solace
- understanding
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You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:
Empathy and sensitivity
Literature
sympathetic adjective (SUPPORT)
C2 agreeing with or supporting:
The party is considered to be sympathetic to/towards welfare reform.
Did he give your proposal/complaints a sympathetic hearing?
More examples
- The current government are very sympathetic towards environmental issues.
- The former president was considered sympathetic to the nationalist cause.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Backing, supporting & defending
- -backed
- argumentation
- bale
- bale out
- bear
- behind every great/successful man there stands a woman idiom
- buttress
- carry
- defensible
- endorse
- espouse
- fight your corner idiom
- speak
- stake
- stand by sb
- stand by sth
- stand shoulder to shoulder with sb idiom
- strike
- sympathize
- sympathy
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sympathetically
adverb uk/ˌsɪm.pəˈθet.ɪ.kəl.i/us/ˌsɪm.pəˈθet̬.ɪ.kəl.i/
She listened sympathetically, nodding her head now and again.