sympathy

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   A feeling of pity and sorrow for someone who is suffering.

   She felt great sympathy for the families who lost their homes.

2. 2
   noun

   The act of understanding and sharing another person's feelings.

   He listened to her problems with real sympathy.

3. 3
   noun

   Agreement with or support for an idea, opinion, or cause.

   Most of the workers were in sympathy with the strike.

Borrowed from Middle French sympathie, from Late Latin sympathīa (“feeling in common”), from Ancient Greek σῠμπᾰ́θειᾰ (sŭmpắtheiă, “fellow feeling”), from σῠμπᾰθής (sŭmpăthḗs, “affected by like feelings; exerting mutual influence, interacting”) + -ῐᾰ (-ĭă, “-y”, nominal suffix). Equivalent to sym- (“acting or considered together”) + -pathy (“feeling”).

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