sympathetic
gb/sˌɪmpəθˈɛtɪk/ us/sˌɪmpəθˈɛtɪk/
B1
Angličtina
~ 5100
Významy
0 významů
adjective
B1
property
1
showing care for someone's troubles
Feeling or showing that you care when someone has a problem or is sad.
Vzorec užití:
[someone] is sympathetic (to/towards [someone])
Častá chyba:
Learners often confuse "sympathetic" with "empathetic". In everyday English, "sympathetic" is more common and means you care about someone’s problems; "empathetic" focuses on sharing or strongly understanding their feelings. Speakers of some languages also wrongly use "sympathetic" to mean simply "nice" or "friendly"; in English, it usually implies reacting to someone’s trouble or difficulty. Preposition choice can also be a problem: we normally say "sympathetic to/towards someone", not "sympathetic with someone" in this sense.
Synonyma
understanding (Stresses mentally grasping and accepting someone’s feelings or situation.)
|
compassionate (Emphasizes warm concern and a wish to help those who are suffering.)
|
supportive (Highlights giving emotional help or encouragement, not just feeling sorry.)
Antonyma
unsympathetic (Direct opposite; not showing care or understanding for someone’s problems.)
|
indifferent (Suggests not caring at all, with no emotional reaction to the other person’s situation.)
Kolokace
deeply sympathetic
|sympathetic listener
|sympathetic parent
|sympathetic ear
|sympathetic response
Témata
emotions
|relationships
|daily life
|core_vocabulary
Příklady
- My manager was very sympathetic when I explained why I had missed the deadline.
- She’s always sympathetic and ready to listen when her friends are going through a hard time.
- The doctor was sympathetic but honest about the seriousness of the illness.
- Neighbors were deeply sympathetic after the family lost their home in the fire.
- He tried to be sympathetic, but he didn’t really understand how scared I was.
Učební příklady
- My teacher was sympathetic when I was sick.
- She is a sympathetic friend who listens to my problems.
- The nurse was kind and sympathetic to the old man.
- He was not very sympathetic when I lost my job.
- I need a sympathetic person to talk to tonight.
adjective
B2
property
2
supporting an idea or group
Liking and supporting an idea, plan, or group, usually because you understand why it is important.
Vzorec užití:
[someone] is sympathetic to [a cause/idea/group]
Častá chyba:
Learners sometimes mix this sense with the personal-emotional sense and say things like "He is sympathetic" when they only mean "He supports this idea". To show support for an idea or group, it is clearer to say "sympathetic to the idea/cause/group". Also avoid saying "sympathetic with" in this sense; the usual pattern is "sympathetic to".
Synonyma
supportive (Stresses actively helping or backing a person, group, or idea.)
|
favorable (More formal; stresses a positive attitude or judgment toward something.)
Antonyma
hostile (Shows strong opposition or active dislike, the opposite of being sympathetic to a cause.)
Kolokace
sympathetic to their demands
|sympathetic audience
|sympathetic judge
|politically sympathetic
|sympathetic government
Témata
politics
|opinions
|society
|relationships
|communication
Příklady
- The committee was generally sympathetic to the union’s demands.
- Voters in the region are often sympathetic to environmental campaigns.
- Although she was personally sympathetic to the proposal, she had to vote against it.
- The judge seemed sympathetic to the young offender’s difficult background.
- We need journalists who are sympathetic to our message, not trying to attack it.
Učební příklady
- Many students were sympathetic to the protest.
- The manager was not sympathetic to their request for more time.
- He is sympathetic to green politics.
- They hope the new mayor will be sympathetic to small businesses.
- The crowd was sympathetic to the speaker’s ideas.
adjective
B2
property
3
easy to like or pity (character)
Describes a person in a story or in real life who people quickly like and feel sorry for when bad things happen.
Vzorec užití:
a sympathetic [character/figure/portrayal]
Častá chyba:
Learners sometimes think "sympathetic character" just means "a nice character". In reviews, it usually means a character the audience can understand and feel for, even if the character does bad things.
Synonyma
likable (Focuses on being pleasant and easy to like, not necessarily on causing pity.)
|
relatable (Informal; suggests that people can easily see themselves in the character’s situation.)
Antonyma
unsympathetic (Describes a character who is hard to like or feel pity for.)
Kolokace
sympathetic character
|sympathetic hero
|sympathetic figure
|sympathetic portrayal
|deeply sympathetic character
Témata
art
|media
|emotions
|arts_entertainment
Příklady
- The film works because the main character is so sympathetic, even when he makes bad decisions.
- The author manages to make a very flawed man into a sympathetic figure.
- Despite her crimes, the series presents her as a surprisingly sympathetic character.
- It’s hard to feel sympathetic toward any of the characters in that play.
- Critics praised the movie’s sensitive and sympathetic portrayal of the refugees.
Učební příklady
- The hero in the book is a very sympathetic character.
- The writer makes the thief a sympathetic person.
- I did not find the main character sympathetic at all.
- He is a weak but sympathetic figure in the story.
- The movie shows the poor family in a sympathetic way.
adjective
B2
property
4
gentle and considerate in approach
Describes the way someone acts, speaks, or treats you that is soft, gentle, and kind because they think about your feelings.
Vzorec užití:
sympathetic [treatment/approach/environment/tone]
Častá chyba:
Learners sometimes use "sympathetic" only for people. It can also describe actions, treatment, or situations that show kindness, like "sympathetic environment" or "sympathetic policies".
Synonyma
gentle (Stresses being soft and not harsh, especially in behavior or treatment.)
|
considerate (Highlights thinking carefully about how your actions affect someone’s feelings.)
Antonyma
harsh (Describes treatment or conditions that are rough, strict, or lacking in kindness.)
Kolokace
sympathetic treatment
|sympathetic environment
|sympathetic interviewer
|sympathetic lighting
|sympathetic tone
Témata
emotions
|work
|health
|relationships
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Příklady
- The dentist’s sympathetic manner helped calm nervous patients.
- New employees need a sympathetic environment where they can ask questions without feeling stupid.
- The journalist’s sympathetic interview allowed the victim to tell her story at her own pace.
- The charity offers sympathetic advice to people in serious debt.
- We appreciated the bank’s sympathetic approach when we explained our financial problems.
Učební příklady
- The doctor used a sympathetic tone when he gave the bad news.
- The school created a more sympathetic environment for students with problems.
- She asked the questions in a soft, sympathetic way.
- I need a more sympathetic boss who understands my family situation.
- The teacher’s sympathetic treatment helped the shy child speak in class.
adjective
technical
C1
property
5
vibrating because of another vibration
Describes a thing that starts to vibrate because another thing near it is vibrating, not because you touch it.
Vzorec užití:
sympathetic [vibration/resonance/string]
Častá chyba:
This technical sense is often unknown to general learners. Do not confuse "sympathetic vibration" with emotional sympathy; here it is about physical movement, not feelings.
Synonyma
resonant (Technical; refers more generally to responding strongly at a particular frequency, not only to being driven by another object.)
Antonyma
non-resonant (Technical; describes systems that do not respond with noticeable vibration at the given frequency.)
Kolokace
sympathetic vibration
|sympathetic resonance
|sympathetic string
|sympathetic oscillation
Témata
science
|physics
|music
Příklady
- The bridge collapsed due to sympathetic vibration caused by the wind.
- In some instruments, extra strings are added purely for sympathetic resonance.
- Engineers had to redesign the structure to reduce sympathetic oscillations from passing trains.
Učební příklady
- The glass broke because of sympathetic vibration from the loud music.
- Sympathetic strings make the sound of the instrument richer.
- We studied sympathetic resonance in physics class.
adjective
technical
C1
property
6
relating to sympathetic nervous system
About the part of your nerves that makes your body ready for action or danger, for example by making your heart beat faster.
Vzorec užití:
sympathetic [nervous system/nerve/activation/response]
Častá chyba:
Learners may wrongly link this medical sense to emotional sympathy. In phrases like "sympathetic nervous system", the word is technical and does not refer to feelings.
Synonyma
adrenergic (Technical; often used for activity mediated by adrenaline, closely related to sympathetic responses.)
Antonyma
parasympathetic (Refers to the other main part of the autonomic nervous system, which calms the body and conserves energy.)
Kolokace
sympathetic nervous system
|sympathetic nerve
|sympathetic activation
|sympathetic response
Témata
science
|medicine
|biology
|health
|body
Příklady
- During acute stress, the sympathetic nervous system increases heart rate and blood pressure.
- These drugs block sympathetic nerve activity and help lower blood pressure.
- The study measured changes in sympathetic and parasympathetic responses during exercise.
Učební příklady
- The sympathetic nervous system prepares your body for danger.
- When you are scared, your sympathetic nerves make your heart beat faster.
- Doctors study the sympathetic and parasympathetic systems in medical school.
Gramatika
Slovníkový tvar
sympathetic
IPA
GB/sˌɪmpəθˈɛtɪk/
US/sˌɪmpəθˈɛtɪk/
Slabiky a přízvuk
sym - path - et - ic (4 slabiky)
Stress on 3rd syllable (et)
Tvary slova
Adjective
- Base: sympathetic
Příbuzná slova
Core family
Related words
sympathizer
noun
Negative and opposite forms
unsympathetic
adjective
unsympathetically
adverb
Výrazy
a sympathetic ear
1/ə sˌɪmpəθˈɛtɪk ˈɪɹ/
idiom
a kind, understanding listener
Someone who listens to your problems with kindness and understanding.
Příklady
- If you ever need a sympathetic ear, just call me.
- After the breakup, she found a sympathetic ear in her older sister.
- The counselor offered a sympathetic ear to students who were struggling.
a sympathetic figure
1/ə sˌɪmpəθˈɛtɪk fˈɪɡjɚ/
fixed phrase
person others easily pity or like
A person, often in the news or in a story, who other people can easily understand and feel sorry for.
Příklady
- The media presented him as a sympathetic figure who had been treated unfairly.
- She became a sympathetic figure in the press after the scandal.
- The documentary turns the politician into a more sympathetic figure.
a sympathetic portrayal
1/ə sˌɪmpəθˈɛtɪk pɔɹtɹˈeɪəl/
fixed phrase
kind and understanding depiction
A way of showing a person in a book, film, or article that makes people understand and feel for them.
Příklady
- The film is a sympathetic portrayal of life in a poor neighborhood.
- Some critics felt it was too sympathetic a portrayal of the dictator.
- The biography offers a very sympathetic portrayal of its subject.
be sympathetic to
1/bˈi sˌɪmpəθˈɛtɪk tə/
fixed phrase
feel or show sympathy for
To understand and care about a person, idea, or group and show support or kindness toward them.
Příklady
- The teacher was sympathetic to the children who had trouble with the test.
- Many voters are sympathetic to the aims of the campaign.
- I’m sympathetic to your situation, but I can’t change the company policy.
sympathetic character
1/sˌɪmpəθˈɛtɪk kˈɛɹɪktɚ/
fixed phrase
story person easy to like or pity
A person in a book, film, or play who the audience easily likes and feels sorry for.
Příklady
- The film lacks a truly sympathetic character for the audience to care about.
- She creates a complex but sympathetic character who grows over the course of the novel.
- Even the villain is written as a surprisingly sympathetic character.
sympathetic nervous system
1/sˌɪmpəθˈɛtɪk nˈɚvəs sˈɪstəm/
fixed phrase
technical
part of nerves for stress response
The part of your body’s nerve system that makes you ready for action or danger, for example by making your heart beat faster.
Příklady
- The sympathetic nervous system is activated when you feel fear or excitement.
- Caffeine can stimulate the sympathetic nervous system and increase alertness.
- They measured how the sympathetic nervous system responded during intense exercise.
sympathetic vibration
1/sˌɪmpəθˈɛtɪk vaɪbɹˈeɪʃən/
fixed phrase
technical
vibration caused by nearby vibration
When one object starts to vibrate because another object near it is vibrating at a matching frequency, without being touched.
Příklady
- The singer’s high note caused a sympathetic vibration in the window glass.
- In physics, we studied sympathetic vibration using tuning forks.
- The piano’s unused strings produced a faint sympathetic vibration.