empathy

noun
UK: /ˈempəθi/
US: /ˈempəθi/

  1. The ability to understand and share the feelings of another person.

    1. I have empathy for him because he lost his job.
    2. Showing empathy, she offered support to her grieving friend; empathy is a valuable trait.

  2. The act of understanding, being aware of, being sensitive to, and vicariously experiencing the feelings, thoughts, and experience of another without having the feelings, thoughts, and experience fully communicated in an objectively explicit manner.

    1. She had great empathy with people.
    2. His lack of empathy made it difficult for him to form meaningful connections with others because empathy fosters trust.

Synonyms

understanding insight sympathy pity compassion

Frequently Asked Questions

The word "empathy" in English means: The ability to understand and share the feelings of another person., The act of understanding, being aware of, being sensitive to, and vicariously experiencing the feelings, thoughts, and experience of another without having the feelings, thoughts, and experience fully communicated in an objectively explicit manner..

The phonetic transcription of "empathy" is /ˈempəθi/ in British English and /ˈempəθi/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "empathy": understanding, insight, sympathy, pity, compassion.

Example usage of "empathy": "I have empathy for him because he lost his job.". More examples on the page.