1
as in compassionate
having or showing the capacity for sharing the feelings of another
a sympathetic smile needed a sympathetic listener who would understand her marital woes
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in benevolent
having or marked by sympathy and consideration for others
a sympathetic store manager who let us use the telephone sympathetic letters from supporters after the disappointing verdict
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Examples Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of sympathetic
Neither Coppola nor Gersten wants to accept the answer — which is both sympathetic to Shelly and Anderson’s performance, but detrimental to the film at large.
—
Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 10 Jan. 2025
Further, the president-elect's statement could be seen as sympathetic toward Russia and so worsen U.S.-Ukraine relations.
—Paul Du Quenoy, Newsweek, 9 Jan. 2025
Cannon, a Trump nominee, is a controversial figure already because of a series of rulings that critics charge have been overly sympathetic to the president-elect.
—Niall Stanage, The Hill, 7 Jan. 2025
Darvall was sympathetic to the hippie elements that poured in, who, in their chemicalized neo-tribalism, in turn drew liberal arts academics eager to contribute to the field of Aussie doof studies.
—Martin McKenzie-Murray, SPIN, 7 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for sympathetic 
Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 10 Jan. 2025
Further, the president-elect's statement could be seen as sympathetic toward Russia and so worsen U.S.-Ukraine relations.
—Paul Du Quenoy, Newsweek, 9 Jan. 2025
Cannon, a Trump nominee, is a controversial figure already because of a series of rulings that critics charge have been overly sympathetic to the president-elect.
—Niall Stanage, The Hill, 7 Jan. 2025
Darvall was sympathetic to the hippie elements that poured in, who, in their chemicalized neo-tribalism, in turn drew liberal arts academics eager to contribute to the field of Aussie doof studies.
—Martin McKenzie-Murray, SPIN, 7 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for sympathetic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sympathetic
Adjective
-
This guiding principle has been instrumental in shaping the firm’s success and its reputation for compassionate advocacy.—
William Jones,
USA TODAY,
16 Jan. 2025
-
Being compassionate with yourself will give you more answers.—
Gillian Mohney,
Verywell Health,
15 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
Welcome to 2025—a world of benevolent AI, robot assistants, biological breakthroughs, and the general promise of the future.—
Amy Sterling,
Forbes,
6 Jan. 2025
-
In a most benevolent gesture, Chicago Cubs chairman Tom Ricketts has invited the most prolific home run hitter in franchise history, the man who sold more tickets to Wrigley Field than the beer and the ivy, to the team’s fan convention next month.—
Jon Greenberg,
The Athletic,
19 Dec. 2024
Adjective
-
But the party went on, albeit cloaked anew as a fund-raiser for a kinder, gentler organization, the Good Neighbor Council for Aircraft Noise Control.—
Miami Herald Archives,
Miami Herald,
8 Jan. 2025
-
Being one of 11 siblings, Dina is looking for someone who is kind, ambitious and family-oriented.—
Dana Rose Falcone,
People.com,
7 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
Employers consistently emphasize the value of hiring individuals with a broad knowledge base who can collaborate to solve problems, engage in thoughtful debate, communicate clearly, and think critically—skills that liberal-arts programs rigorously cultivate.—
Sarah Hernholm,
Forbes,
18 Jan. 2025
-
And having more thoughtful conversations doesn’t preclude the need sometimes to confront those who are needlessly cruel or organizations that benefit from such exploitation.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
18 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
Finally, though, wood is back in business in a versatile new form: mass timber, a sturdy, humane product engineered not from ever-scarcer old-growth hardwood trees but from much younger, softer cedar, Douglas fir, and (lately) eastern hemlock.—
Justin Davidson,
Curbed,
8 Jan. 2025
-
Once associated with Milton Friedman’s University of Chicago school of economics, it is properly forgotten outside the pages of right-wing libertarians — who are not traditional, humane conservatives — and reproduced in the opinion pages of the Tribune.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
8 Jan. 2025
Articles Related to sympathetic
Thesaurus Entries Near sympathetic
Cite this Entry
“Sympathetic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sympathetic. Accessed 22 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share