empathetic
gb/ˌɛmpəθˈɛtɪk/ us/ˌɛmpəθˈɛtɪk/
B2
English
Senses
0 senses
adjective
B2
property
1
understanding others' feelings
kind and understanding because you can imagine how another person feels
Usage pattern:
empathetic toward/to [someone]; empathetic about [something]; an empathetic [response/listener/approach]
Common mistake:
Do not confuse empathetic with sympathetic. Sympathetic often means feeling pity or support; empathetic emphasizes understanding someone’s feelings from their point of view.
Synonyms
understanding (broader and less specifically focused on emotions)
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compassionate (emphasizes caring and wanting to help)
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sensitive (emphasizes noticing and respecting feelings)
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caring (emphasizes concern and kindness)
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empathic (near synonym, sometimes used in psychological or formal contexts)
Antonyms
unsympathetic (not showing concern or emotional support)
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insensitive (not aware of or careful about others' feelings)
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indifferent (not caring about someone's feelings or situation)
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callous (harshly or coldly unconcerned)
Collocations
empathetic person
|empathetic listener
|empathetic response
|empathetic approach
|empathetic support
|empathetic teacher
|empathetic doctor
|empathetic leadership
|empathetic communication
|deeply empathetic
Themes
emotions
|relationships
|communication
|psychology
Examples
- She was an empathetic manager who noticed when people were struggling.
- The doctor gave a calm, empathetic explanation of the test results.
- Try to be empathetic toward people whose experiences are very different from yours.
Learner examples
- He is kind and empathetic.
- A good teacher should be empathetic.
Grammar
Dictionary form
empathetic
IPA
GB/ˌɛmpəθˈɛtɪk/
US/ˌɛmpəθˈɛtɪk/
Syllables & stress
em - path - et - ic (4 syllables)
Stress on 3rd syllable (et)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: empathetic
Expressions
empathetic communication
1/ˌɛmpəθˈɛtɪk kəmjˌunɪkˈeɪʃən/
fixed phrase
communication with emotional understanding
speaking or writing in a way that shows you understand someone's feelings
Examples
- Good customer service depends on empathetic communication.
- The workshop teaches empathetic communication for difficult conversations.
- Her email used empathetic communication without losing the main message.
empathetic leadership
1/ˌɛmpəθˈɛtɪk lˈidɚʃˌɪp/
fixed phrase
business
leadership that understands people
leading people while caring about and understanding their feelings and needs
Examples
- Empathetic leadership became especially important during the company restructuring.
- The team responded well to her clear goals and empathetic leadership.
- Managers were trained in empathetic leadership after employee surveys showed high stress levels.
empathetic listening
1/ˌɛmpəθˈɛtɪk lˈɪsnɪŋ/
fixed phrase
listening to understand feelings
listening carefully so you understand how someone feels
Examples
- Empathetic listening can help calm an angry customer.
- The counselor used empathetic listening to make the student feel heard.
- Training sessions focused on empathetic listening and clear feedback.
empathetic response
1/ˌɛmpəθˈɛtɪk ɹɪspˈɑns/
fixed phrase
reply showing emotional understanding
a kind reply that shows you understand how someone feels
Examples
- Instead of giving advice immediately, he offered an empathetic response.
- Her empathetic response made the patient feel less alone.
- A simple phrase like “That sounds really hard” can be an empathetic response.