A person believed to be unusually sensitive to other people's emotions.
Reach for it when describing strong emotional sensitivity in informal or spiritual language
As an empath, Jo noticed the unease behind her colleague's cheerful reply.
| playful | |
|---|---|
| everyday | |
| warm |
|
| professional | |
| literary |
playful
people reader
Fits when informal praise concerns reading social cues
Careful The phrase can suggest manipulation and sounds glib in clinical contexts.
everyday
empathetic person
Fits when demonstrated understanding and care are what matter
Careful Empathetic behavior can be learned and does not imply unusual sensitivity.
everyday
Fits when accurate understanding seems to arise without explicit cues
Careful Intuitive can encourage unjustified certainty about another person's feelings.
warm
good listener
Fits when attentive listening provides the evidence
Careful A good listener may use skill rather than directly sensing emotion.
professional
emotionally perceptive
Fits when observed skill in reading emotion is intended
Careful Perception can be accurate without sharing or absorbing the emotion.
literary
sensitive soul
Fits when emotional responsiveness deserves affectionate praise
Careful The phrase can sound patronizing and may imply fragility.
self-described empath
The self-described empath still asked rather than assuming what others felt.
highly sensitive empath
A highly sensitive empath may need clear emotional boundaries.
identify as an empath
Some people identify as an empath to describe intense emotional responsiveness.
Keep in mind
Empath is not a clinical diagnosis; emotional impressions should not be treated as certain knowledge of another person's inner state.
Definitions and examples are written for this site. How words are chosen Recording: Paul2520, American accent, from Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 Updated
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