empathize
gb/ˈɛmpəθˌaɪz/ us/ˈɛmpəθˌaɪz/
B2
English
Senses
0 senses
Verb
B2
action
1
understand another's feelings
to understand how another person feels because you can imagine being in their situation
Usage pattern:
empathize with [someone/something]
Common mistake:
Use empathize with, not empathize someone. Empathize means understand or share feelings; sympathize often means feel sorry for someone or support them.
Synonyms
identify with (often means seeing yourself in another person or situation)
|
relate to (more informal and often based on similar experience)
|
understand (broader; may be intellectual rather than emotional)
|
feel for (suggests compassion and concern, sometimes closer to sympathy)
Antonyms
misunderstand (means to fail to understand someone's feelings or situation correctly)
|
dismiss (means to treat someone's feelings as unimportant rather than trying to understand them)
|
be indifferent (means to feel no concern or emotional connection)
Collocations
empathize with someone
|empathize with patients
|empathize with customers
|empathize with victims
|empathize with a character
|empathize with their situation
|try to empathize
|learn to empathize
|find it hard to empathize
|be able to empathize
Themes
emotions
|relationships
|communication
|psychology
Examples
- Good managers listen carefully and try to empathize with their employees.
- I can empathize with anyone who has struggled to learn a new language.
- The novel makes it easy to empathize with characters who have made serious mistakes.
Learner examples
- I empathize with you because I had the same problem.
- She found it hard to empathize with him at first.
Grammar
Dictionary form
empathize
IPA
GB/ˈɛmpəθˌaɪz/
US/ˈɛmpəθˌaɪz/
Syllables & stress
em - path - ize (3 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (em)
Word forms
Verb
- Base: empathize
- 3rd Person Singular: empathizes
- Present Participle: empathizing
- Past: empathized
Expressions
No expressions linked to this entry yet.