Empath

n.kind, thoughtfulwarm

What it means

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
people reader
when informal praise concerns reading social cues
not when The phrase can suggest manipulation and sounds glib in clinical contexts.
everyday
empathetic person
when demonstrated understanding and care are what matter
not when Empathetic behavior can be learned and does not imply unusual sensitivity.
everyday
intuitive
when accurate understanding seems to arise without explicit cues
not when Intuitive can encourage unjustified certainty about another person's feelings.
warm
good listener
when attentive listening provides the evidence
not when A good listener may use skill rather than directly sensing emotion.
professional
emotionally perceptive
when observed skill in reading emotion is intended
not when Perception can be accurate without sharing or absorbing the emotion.
literary
sensitive soul
when emotional responsiveness deserves affectionate praise
not when 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.

Empath is not a clinical diagnosis; emotional impressions should not be treated as certain knowledge of another person's inner state.

The definition and the example on this page are written here. The dictionaries above ground which meaning is being described, not the wording.