Synonyms for sympathy
Synonyms by meaning
Noun
1. Fellow feeling — A feeling of pity or sorrow for the suffering or distress of another
fellow feeling, pity, compassion, commiseration, empathy, kindness, mercy, condolence, congeniality, tenderness, benevolence, kindliness, humanity, loving-kindness, tender-heartedness, remorse dated, ruth dated, rue dated
2. Understanding
understanding, agreement, union, affinity, harmony, rapport, correspondence, accord, concord
Other
solace, loyalty, community, reciprocity, allegiance, touchingness
Definitions
- n. 1
A feeling of pity or sorrow for the suffering or distress of another.
- n. 2
A feeling of pity or sorrow for the suffering or distress of another. The formal expression of pity or sorrow for someone else's misfortune.
- n. 3
A feeling of pity or sorrow for the suffering or distress of another. The ability to share the feelings of another.
Related words
- Word family
- sympathetic sympathize
- Phrases
- powder of sympathy sympathy card
Forms
- Plural
- sympathies → pities, compassions, commiserations, empathies…
Choose the right word
We should not now speak of benevolence which did not help, unless where there was no power to help; even then we should rather say good-will or sympathy.
J. C. Fernald, English Synonyms and Antonyms (1914)
Example sentences
- pity It was a pity that Tom couldn't come to our party.
- compassion Compassion is entirely absent from his character.
- understanding The mystery of life is beyond human understanding.
- affinity They feel a strange affinity with each other.
Popularity over time
| Word | 1850 → 2019 | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| sympathy | steady | |
| pity | rising | |
| compassion | rising | |
| commiseration | rising | |
| understanding | rising |
Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.
By length
- 3 letters
- rue1
- 4 letters
- pity2, ruth1
- 5 letters
- union2, mercy2
- 6 letters
- regard2, accord2, solace2
- 7 letters
- concern2, loyalty3, harmony3, empathy3, remorse2, concord2, rapport2
- 8 letters
- interest2, humanity4, kindness2, affinity4
- 9 letters
- community4, agreement3
- 10 letters
- compassion3, allegiance3, tenderness3, condolence3, kindliness
- 11 letters
- reciprocity5, benevolence4
- 12 letters
- congeniality6, touchingness
- 13 letters
- understanding4, commiseration
- 14 letters
- correspondence4
The small number after each word is its number of syllables (pity2 = 2 syllables).