Empathy

n.kind, thoughtfulwarm

What it means

The capacity to understand and emotionally appreciate another person's experience.

Reach for it when naming perspective-taking that treats someone else's feelings as real and important

Empathy changed the interview from a checklist into a respectful conversation.

playful
putting yourself in their shoes
when the concept needs a familiar explanation
not when The idiom can oversimplify experiences an outsider cannot fully inhabit.
everyday
understanding
when patient recognition is enough
not when The word may refer only to knowledge and lacks empathy's emotional dimension.
warm
compassion
when suffering awakens care and a desire to help
not when Compassion can exist without accurately imagining the person's own perspective.
warm
sympathy
when sorrow or concern is felt for another person
not when Sympathy can preserve distance, while empathy attempts an inside view.
professional
attunement
when responsiveness to subtle emotional cues is central
not when Attunement describes sensitivity in the moment, not the broader capacity for empathy.
professional
emotional insight
when accurate reading of feeling deserves analytical language
not when Insight may become observation without connection or shared feeling.
literary
fellow feeling
when common humanity is the source of connection
not when The phrase is old-fashioned and can imply similarity that has not been established.

show empathy
The supervisor chose to show empathy while keeping the safety boundary clear.
deep empathy
Her deep empathy grew from listening without rushing to compare stories.
empathy for others
Empathy for others can coexist with firm disagreement about a decision.

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