Showing an ability to understand and respond to another person's feelings.
Reach for it when praising communication that recognizes another person's emotional perspective
The clinician's empathic questions helped the patient speak without shame.
| everyday | |
|---|---|
| warm | |
| professional |
|
| formal |
everyday
Fits when the more common spelling best suits general readers
Careful Empathetic is essentially equivalent and does not sharpen the meaning.
everyday
Fits when awareness of another person's needs is visible
Careful Sensitive can also mean easily hurt and is less precise.
warm
Fits when concern includes a wish to relieve suffering
Careful Compassion goes beyond understanding and may overstate the person's response.
warm
Fits when patient acceptance matters more than technical wording
Careful Understanding can concern facts and may not include emotional attunement.
professional
attuned
Fits when close responsiveness to subtle emotional cues is central
Careful Attuned can imply accuracy that has not been checked with the other person.
professional
emotionally intelligent
Fits when broader skill in recognizing and managing emotion matters
Careful Emotional intelligence includes self-management and is wider than empathic response.
formal
Fits when shared concern or favorable understanding is intended
Careful Sympathy can involve pity without entering the other person's perspective.
empathic response
An empathic response acknowledged the fear before offering advice.
empathic listening
Empathic listening gave the bereaved parent time to finish.
empathic understanding
The mediator showed empathic understanding without claiming to know everything.
Definitions and examples are written for this site. How words are chosen Recording: Yangolin, American accent, from Wikimedia Commons, CC0 Updated
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