sympathize
gb/sˈɪmpəθˌaɪz/ us/sˈɪmpəθˌaɪz/
B2
English
Senses
0 senses
Verb
B2
state
1
feel sorry for someone
To feel sorry for someone because something bad happened to them.
Usage pattern:
sympathize with [someone] (about/over [something])
Common mistake:
Use sympathize with (not *sympathize to*). Also, sympathize is about compassion; empathize is about sharing/understanding feelings from the inside.
Synonyms
feel for (More informal and often warmer.)
|
commiserate (Often implies sharing the complaint or sorrow together.)
|
pity (Can sound condescending; focuses on feeling sorry rather than understanding.)
Antonyms
be indifferent (Shows no caring or concern.)
|
disregard (Actively ignores someone’s trouble.)
Collocations
sympathize with someone
|sympathize with the victims
|sympathize with someone’s loss
|sympathize deeply
|sympathize sincerely
|really sympathize
|find it hard to sympathize
|can’t help but sympathize
|sympathize with someone’s situation
|sympathize with their grief
Themes
emotions
|relationships
|health
|daily_life
Examples
- I sympathize with you—losing a job is incredibly stressful.
- Many people sympathized with the family after the accident.
- I do sympathize, but I’m not sure what I can do to help.
Learner examples
- I sympathize with you.
- She sympathized with him after his surgery.
Verb
C1
state
2
understand and support a view
To understand someone’s reasons and support them.
Usage pattern:
sympathize with [someone/something]
Common mistake:
Learners may use sympathize when they mean simply agree; sympathize often includes a sense of understanding feelings or a difficult position, not just sharing an opinion.
Synonyms
be sympathetic to (Closest in tone; explicitly emphasizes understanding.)
|
support (More active; may imply taking action, not just understanding.)
|
agree (Focuses on sharing an opinion; less about feelings.)
Antonyms
oppose (Actively disagrees or resists.)
|
disapprove (Judges the person or idea negatively.)
Collocations
sympathize with the idea
|sympathize with their position
|sympathize with the protesters
|sympathize with the cause
|sympathize with the argument
|sympathize with their concerns
|sympathize strongly
|sympathize wholeheartedly
|sympathize to some extent
|sympathize with her point of view
Themes
emotions
|opinions
|society
|politics
Examples
- I sympathize with his frustration, even if I don’t agree with his approach.
- A lot of people sympathize with the workers’ demands for safer conditions.
- It’s difficult to sympathize with someone who refuses to apologize.
Learner examples
- I sympathize with your point.
- Some voters sympathize with the plan.
Grammar
Dictionary form
sympathize
IPA
GB/sˈɪmpəθˌaɪz/
US/sˈɪmpəθˌaɪz/
Syllables & stress
sym - path - ize (3 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (sym)
Word forms
Verb
- Base: sympathize
- 3rd Person Singular: sympathizes
- Present Participle: sympathizing
- Past: sympathized
Expressions
i sympathize.
1/ˈaɪ sˈɪmpəθˌaɪz ‖/
fixed phrase
polite acknowledgement of hardship
A polite way to say you feel sorry for someone.
Examples
- I sympathize, but the policy still applies to everyone.
- I sympathize—this must be really hard for you right now.
- I sympathize, and I’ll see what I can do.