Sympathy

Definition: Sympathy

Sympathy

Noun

1. 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".

2. Sharing the feelings of others (especially feelings of sorrow or anguish).

3. A relation of affinity or harmony between people; whatever affects one correspondingly affects the other; "the two of them were in close sympathy".

Source: WordNet 1.7.1 Copyright © 2001 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
 

Date "sympathy" was first used in popular English literature: sometime before 1258. (references)

Etymology: Sympathy \Sym"pa*thy\, noun; plural Sympathies. [French sympathie, Latin sympathia, Greek; sy`n with suffering, passion, from to suffer. See Syn-, and Pathos.]. (Websters 1913)

19th Century Satire

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

Synonyms: Sympathy

Affections

Noun: affections, affect; character, qualities, disposition, nature, spirit, tone; temper, temperament; diathesis, idiosyncrasy; cast of mind, cast of soul, habit of mind, habit of soul, frame of mind, frame of soul; predilection, turn, natural turn of mind; bent, bias, predisposition, proneness, proclivity, propensity, propenseness, propension, propendency; vein, humor, mood, grain, mettle; sympathy; (love).

Concord

Noun: concord, accord, harmony, symphony; homologue; agreement; sympathy, empathy; (love); response; union, unison, unity; bonds of harmony; peace; unanimity; (assent); league; happy family.

Condolence

Verb: condole with, console, sympathize express pity, testify pity; afford consolation, supply consolation; lament; with; express sympathy for; feel grief in common with, feel sorrow in common with; share one's sorrow.

Noun: condolence; lamentation; sympathy, consolation.

Feeling

Noun: feeling; suffering; Verb: endurance, tolerance, sufferance, supportance, experience, response; sympathy; (love); impression, inspiration, affection, sensation, emotion, pathos, deep sense.

Friendship

Cordiality, fraternization, entente cordiale, good understanding, rapprochement, sympathy, fellow-feeling, response, welcomeness.

Love

Affection, sympathy, fellow-feeling; tenderness; Adjective: heart, brotherly love; benevolence; attachment.

Pity

Noun: pity, compassion, commiseration; bowels, of compassion; sympathy, fellow-feeling, tenderness, yearning, forbearance, humanity, mercy, clemency; leniency; (lenity); charity, ruth, long-suffering.

Crosswords: Sympathy

Does she have that much sympathy in her heart? (Cowboy Bebop; writing credit: Akihiko Inari)

Aisle 6- Next to the sympathy cards. (The Simpsons; writing credit: Artur Brauner; Paul Hengge)

You have my sympathy, Johnny. (The Killing; writing credit: Stanley Kubrick; Jim Thompson)

Give me anything even sympathy (Union of the Snake; performing artist: Duran Duran)

I don't need your sympathy, no (The Best Man I Can Be; performing artist: Ginuwine)

Don't have much time for sympathy (Seein' Red; performing artist: Unwritten Law)

Sympathy sees and says, "I'm sorry. (references; author: unknown)

Tears will get you sympathy. Sweat will get you results. (references; author: unknown)

Tea and Sympathy (1956)

Sympathy (1929)

Influence of Sympathy (1913)

Rich Tea and Sympathy (1991)

Free Aspirin and Tender Sympathy (1991)

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

Books

• A Sympathy of Souls: Essays (reference)

• Oh My Goddess!: Sympathy for the Devil (reference)

  (more book examples)

Theater & Movies

• Sympathy for the Devil (reference)

• Tea and Sympathy (reference)

  (more DVD examples; more video examples)

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

American sympathy and Irish backguardism. Credit: Library of Congress.

North and South united in their sympathy by the death of Grant. Credit: Library of Congress.

Well, Sonny, you have my sympathy!. Credit: Library of Congress.

Source: pictures compiled by the editor from various references; see picture credits.

Source: compiled by the editor from various references.

This is the soul that gives form, life, and unity to the common-wealth: from hence the several members have their mutual influence, sympathy, and connexion: and therefore, when the legislative is broken, or dissolved, dissolution and death follows: for the essence and union of the society consisting in having one will, the legislative, when once established by the majority, has the declaring, and as it were keeping of that will. (Second Treatise of Government)

In order to arouse sympathy, the aristocracy were obliged to lose sight, apparently, of their own interests, and to formulate their indictment against the bourgeoisie in the interest of the exploited working class alone. (reference)

There is deep sympathy and goodwill in Britain - and I doubt not here also - towards the peoples of all the Russias and a resolve to persevere through many differences and rebuffs in establishing lasting friendships. ("Iron Curtain" Speech)

Source: compiled by the editor from various references.

There was little sympathy to be spared for any body else.

I had long realized that we were not in sympathy in religious belief.

There is a sympathy that will make me conscious of him.

When he knew Pontmercy, there was this sympathy between the colonel and himself, that what the colonel did for flowers, he did for fruits.

The philanthropist too often surrounds mankind with the remembrance of his own castoff griefs as an atmosphere, and calls it sympathy.

Source: compiled by the editor from various references.

Civil Liberties

Slovak Republic

The Penal Code stipulates that anyone who publicly demonstrates sympathy towards fascism or movements oppressing human rights and freedoms can be sentenced to jail for up to 3 years. (references)

Libya

In 1998 at least 100 professionals in Benghazi and several other major cities were arrested on suspicion of political opposition activities, specifically support of or sympathy the Islamic oppositionist movement. (references)

Liberia

In September the police detained a leading radio talk show host and suspended the station's broadcast for several hours when some callers voiced sentiments contrary to the Government's official policy of sympathy for the September 11 terrorist attacks in the U.S. The talk show host was released the next day. (references)

Economic History

Uruguay

Sympathy strikes are not illegal. (references)

Equatorial Guinea

Alleged coup attempts in 1981 and 1983 raised little sympathy among the populace. (references)

New Zealand

The ECA also prohibited strikes induced to force companies to sign multi-company contracts, as well as sympathy strikes by workers not involved in a particular labor dispute. (references)

Human Rights

Philippines

The ASG, which from time to time claims that its motivations are political or religious in order to attract sympathy for its actions, and which in the past has had links to the al-Qaida terrorist organization, appeared during the year to use terror mainly for profit. (references)

Libya

In June 1998, at least 100 professionals, including engineers, doctors, and university professors in Benghazi and several other major cities were arrested on suspicion of political opposition activities, specifically support of or sympathy for Islamic oppositionist groups. (references)

India

The U.N. Special Rapporteur on Torture has reported that the security forces systematically torture persons in Jammu and Kashmir in order to coerce them to confess to militant activity, to reveal information about suspected militants, or to inflict punishment for suspected support or sympathy with militants. (references)

Indigenous People

Namibia

In some cases, the Government has withheld recognition from genuine traditional leaders who have sympathy for the political opposition. (references)

Minorities

Liechtenstein

A 1999 government survey of 700 young persons indicated that approximately 20 percent of youths expressed ambivalence toward or sympathy for extremist views, while 4 percent supported extremist views. (references)

South Africa

While PAGAD continues to lose support when it is linked to violent acts, it gains sympathy when high-profile incidents occur that are perceived by the Muslim community to have been acts of discrimination against Muslims. (references)

Political Economy

Turkey

As a result of the continuing hunger strikes to protest new small-cell prisons, 48 prisoners and sympathy strikers outside prison died during the year. (references)

Political Rights

Saudi Arabia

Al-Masari expressed the CDLR's "understanding" of two fatal terrorist bombings of U.S. military facilities in 1995 and 1996 and sympathy for the perpetrators. (references)

Women

Malaysia

Nonetheless, cultural attitudes and a perceived lack of sympathy from the largely male police force lead many victims not to report rapes. (references)

Worker Rights

Namibia

Although the management agreed to improve working conditions in the mill and to address other labor grievances, the company did not pay strikers for the time when they were engaged in the industrial action, penalized workers who occupied the control room by refusing to give them a month's salary, and issued written warnings to other mill workers who joined sympathy strikes. (references)

Source: compiled by the editor from ICON Group International, Inc.; see credits.

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

Source: compiled by the editor from various references.

Expressions using "sympathy": a heart as big as all outdoors sympathy ♦ feel sympathy for ♦ in sympathy with ♦ sympathy card ♦ sympathy effect ♦ sympathy strike ♦ with sympathy ♦ without sympathy. Additional references.

Afrikaans

simpatie. (various references)

Albanian

simpati (Favor, favour, fellow feeling, fondness, liking), mirëkuptim (entente, understanding), keqardhje (compassion, compunction, lament, pity, regret, remorse, repentance, rue, Ruth), dhimbje (ache, agony, anguish, distress, dolor, dolour, grip, heartache, misery, pain, sorrow, throe). (various references)

Arabic 

‏مشاركة وجدانية, ‏تعاطف (empathy, sympathize), ‏عطف (favor, favour, goodwill, kindliness, kindness, sentimentalize), ‏إنسجام (accord, accordance, agreement, concert, concord, concordance, conformity, congruence, consonance, correspondence, curve, exaltation, harmony, smoothness, symphony, unison, unity), ‏شفقة (compassion, kindness, mercy, pathos, pity). (various references)

Bulgarian 

съчувствие (commiseration, compassion, condolence, feeling, fellow feeling), съгласие (accord, accordance, agreement, approval, assent, compliance, concert, concord, concurrence, congruence, consensus, consent, consonance, consort, fiat, grant, harmony, rapport, understanding, union, unison, unity, yea, yes), симпатия (bully, liking), разбирателство (amity, rapport, understanding, unity), чувство на солидарност, чувство на лоялност, отзивчивост (readiness, receptivity, responsiveness). (various references)

Chinese 

同情 (compassion, relent, sympathize). (various references)

Czech

sympatie (affinity, feeling), soucit (commiseration, compassion, mercy, pity), pochopení (appreciation, comprehension, insight, understanding), lítost (contrition, dolor, dolour, heartache, pity, regret, remorse, repentance, rue). (various references)

Danish

sympatistrejke (solidarity strike, sympathy strike), sympatieffekt (sympathy effect). (various references)

Dutch

medegevoel, deelneming (acquisition of holdings, equity capital, equity financing, equity investment, equity participation, investment, participation). (various references)

Esperanto

simpatio, kunsento. (various references)

Farsi 

موافقت (Accord, Accordance, Acquiescence, Adhesion, Agreement, Approbation, Approval, Assent, Concurrence, Congruity, Consent, Endorsement, Understanding), همفکری , همدمی (Camaraderie), همدردی (Condolence, Pity), رقت , دلسوی . (various references)

Finnish

myötätunto. (various references)

French

sympathie. (various references)

Frisian

sympaty. (various references)

German

Sympathie (liking), Mitgefühl (commiseration, compassion, fellow feeling, pity), Anteilnahme (condolence, participation), Mitleid (charity, commiseration, compassion, mercies, mercy, pitifulness, pity, ruth). (various references)

Greek 

συμπόνια (charity, commiseration, compassion, fellow feeling, sympathy for), συμπάθεια (compassion, liking, rapport). (various references)

Hebrew 

זיק�" (affinity, attachment, bond, link, linkage, linking, rapport, relation, spark, tie), א�"�"�" (affection, popularity), �"שתתפות בצער (commiseration, condolence), סימפתי�". (various references)

Hungarian

együttérzés (commiseration, solidarity). (various references)

Indonesian

simpati, timbang-rasa. (various references)

Italian

simpatia (compassion, liking, pleasantness, shine). (various references)

Japanese Kanji 

情け (compassion), �"�悼 (condolence, lament, regret, sorrow). (various references)

Japanese Katakana 

に�"じょう (bloodshed, common sense, customs and manners, empathy, human nature, humanity, kindness), ともなり (developing friendship, resonance), じ�"し�" (benevolence, human heart, human nature, human spirit, humanity, kindness, one's person, retainers, subjects, the human body), じゅ�"のう (adaptation), シンパシー , あいとう (condolence, lament, regret, sorrow), あいれ�" (compassion, pity), いきとう�"う (find a kindred spirit in, hit it off with, mutual understanding), いし�"で�"し�" (communion of mind with mind, tacit understanding, telepathy), ちょうい (close siege, condolence, mourning, tide level), か�"のう (divine response, encouragement of agriculture, full payment or delivery, induction, inspiration, proficient, skillful, the diencephalon, the interbrain, the senses), おもいやり (consideration), どうちょう (agree with, alignment, that town, the same town, tuning), どうじょう (compassion, court nobles, ditto, dojo, feel for, hall used for martial arts training, ibid., mandala, on the roof, pity, riding together, riding with, same as above, sympathize), どうじょうし�" (compassion), どうか�" (agreement, concurrence, duct, same feeling, same opinion, Taoist temple), ひと�"�"ろ (human heart, human nature, human spirit, kindness), きょうめい (reputation for beauty, resonance), きょうか�" (assassin, between the mountains, breast, chest, ferocity, heinousness, instructor, mirror, one's hometown, outlaw, paragon, professor, response, scream, shout, teacher, villain), なさけ (compassion), いたわり (attention, carefulness, illness, labor, service, trouble). (various references)

Korean 

교감 (Sympathies). (various references)

Manx

erreeish (compassion, pity), ennaghtyn (atmosphere, experience, feel, feeling, gratitude, noble sentiments, perceive, realization, sensation, sense, sensibility). (various references)

Pig Latin

ympathysay

Portuguese

simpatia (affection, appreciation, consensus, empathy, fancy, fantasy, feeling, fellow feeling, liking, phantasy). (various references)

Romanian

solidaritate (fellowship, solidarity), simpatie (approval, attraction, congeniality, countenance, fellow feeling, liking, love, popularity, regard), omenie (amiability, honor, honour, humanity), compãtimire (commiseration, compassion, fellow feeling, mercy, pity, remorse), afecţiune (affection, affections, attachment, dearness, disease, fondness, inclination, passions, tenderness, trouble), înţelegere (accommodation, accord, agreement, apprehension, arrangement, compact, compliance, composition, comprehension, comprehensiveness, concert, concord, concordat, connivance, convention, covenant, goodwill, grasp, grip, insight, intelligence, knowing, mindfulness, perception, prehension, realization, understanding, unity). (various references)

Russian 

симпатия (feeling, fellow feeling, leaning, liking), взаимное понимание. (various references)

Serbo-Croatian

simpatija (liking), saučešće (compassion, condolences), saosećaj, naklonost (appetence, appetency, favor, favour, grace, likes, partiality). (various references)

Spanish

simpatía (comeliness, fellow feeling, friendliness, geniality, liking, loveliness, niceness, pleasantness, understanding). (various references)

Swedish

sympati (affinity, leaning, liking), medkänsla (feeling, fellow feeling). (various references)

Thai

ความเห็นใจ, ความมีใจเหมือนกัน. (various references)

Turkish

sevgi (affection, affections, attachment, compassion, dearness, fondness, love, piety, sympathies), sempati, ilgi (affinity, attachment, attention, bearing, care, concern, connection, connexion, curiosity, interest, involvement, liking, pertinence, reference, regard, relation, relationship, relativeness, relevance, relevancy, respect, solicitude, sympathies, thought), halden anlama (being sensible, fellow feeling, fellowship), duygudaşlık, acısını paylaşma, acıma (aching, commiseration, compassion, feeling, pathos, pity, Ruth). (various references)

Turkmen 

duяgudaюlyk. (various references)

Ukrainian

співчуття (charity, commiseration, condolence, empathy, leaning), симпатія (amour, liking, value), відповідність (accord, accordance, adequacy, appropriateness, aptness, concordance, conformity, congruence, correspondence, parallel, suitability, truth), вза�"морозуміння (rapport), прихильність (acceptance, adherence, affectation, affection, benevolence, bias, committal, devotion, endearment, favour, good-liking, goodwill, grace, kindness, liking). (various references)

Vietnamese 

sự thông cảm (fellow-feeling, understanding), sự đ�"ng tình sự thương cảm, mối thương cảm sự đ�"ng ý. (various references)

Welsh

cydymdeimlad. (various references)

consensus, misericordia, misericordiae, misericordiam, misericordiarum, misericordias, misericordiis. (various references)

sympathia. (various references)

Misspellings

"Sympathy" is suggested in spellcheckers for the following: Senpachi, simpathy, symapthy, symathy, sympaht, sympahty, sympaty, symphaty, synpathy, sypathy. (additional references)

Source: compiled by the editor (additional references); see credits.

Scrabble® Enable2K-Verified Anagrams

-3 letters: hasty, mashy, maths, mayst, myths, mythy, pasty, paths, patsy, stamp, staph, stymy, tamps, thymy.

-4 letters: amps, ashy, hams, haps, hasp, hast, hats, hays, hyps, maps, mash, mast, math, mats, mays, myth, pams, pash, past, path, pats, paty, pays, phat, pyas, samp, sham, shat, shay, spam, spat, spay, stay, syph, tamp, tams, taps.

+5 letters: polycythemias, sympathectomy, sympatholytic.