Sympathy
What it means
Understanding and concern for another person's difficulty.
Reach for it when naming understanding and concern for another person's pain, loss, or difficulty
His sympathy was matched by practical support.
Words to choose between 7
| everyday | |
|---|---|
| warm |
|
| professional | |
| formal | |
| literary |
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everyday
concern
Fits when care about someone's welfare is the straightforward point
Careful Concern can arise from risk or responsibility without sharing their sadness.
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everyday
Fits when practical or emotional help matters more than the feeling itself
Careful Support can be offered from duty without genuine sympathy.
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warm
Fits when concern also motivates a wish to relieve suffering
Careful Compassion is stronger and more active than every expression of sympathy.
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professional
Fits when entering the person's perspective is the key distinction
Careful Sympathy can care from outside; empathy claims a closer understanding of feeling.
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professional
Fits when recognizing the person's reasons or feelings matters
Careful Understanding can be intellectual and need not include emotional concern.
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formal
condolence
Fits when expressing sympathy after a death or grave loss
Careful Condolence is too specific for illness, frustration, or ordinary hardship.
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literary
Fits when shared humanity or experience creates connection
Careful The phrase sounds elevated and may imply more common experience than exists.
Opposites 3
- indifference
- callousness
- hostility
Common phrases 3
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deepest sympathy
The association sent its deepest sympathy to the bereaved family.
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express sympathy
Neighbors gathered to express sympathy after the fire.
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gain sympathy
The honest account helped the displaced workers gain sympathy without losing dignity.
Definitions and examples are written for this site. How words are chosen Recording: Dvortygirl, California accent, from Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 Updated