empathy
Americannoun
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the psychological identification with or vicarious experiencing of the emotions, thoughts, or attitudes of another.
She put an arm around her friendâs shoulders and stood by her in silent empathy.
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the imaginative ascribing to an object, as a natural object or work of art, feelings or attitudes present in oneself.
By means of empathy, a great painting becomes a mirror of the self.
noun
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the power of understanding and imaginatively entering into another person's feelings See also identification
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the attribution to an object, such as a work of art, of one's own emotional or intellectual feelings about it
Usage
What does empathy mean? Empathy is the ability or practice of imagining or trying to deeply understand what someone else is feeling or what itâs like to be in their situation. Empathy is often described as the ability to feel what others are feeling as if you are feeling it yourself. To feel empathy for someone is to empathize. People who do this are described as empathetic. Some people use the word empathy interchangeably or in overlapping ways with the word sympathy, which generally means the sharing of emotions with someone else, especially sadness. However, others distinguish the two terms by emphasizing the importance of having empathy for others (feeling their pain) as opposed to having sympathy for them (feeling sorry for them). Example: Having faced many of the same challenges, Nyala has empathy for immigrants and what it feels like to go through those challenges.
Synonym Usage
See sympathy.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of empathy
First recorded in 1900â05; from Greek empĂĄtheia âaffection,â equivalent to em- âin, withinâ ( see em- 2) + path- (base of pĂĄschein âto sufferâ) + -eia noun suffix ( see -ia); its present meaning translates German EinfĂźhlung
Explanation
Use empathy if you're looking for a noun meaning "the ability to identify with another's feelings." When Bill Clinton famously told people "I feel your pain" during his 1992 election campaign, some praised and others ridiculed him for displaying empathy, the sharing or understanding of feelings. Empathy is different from sympathy, which is pity or sorrow for others' misfortunes. They share a common root in -pathy, from the Greek pathos, "feeling." Where they differ is in their prefixes: sym- means "with," while em- means "in." If you can empathize with someone, it's because you have been in their place: you've "walked a mile in their shoes," as the saying goes.
Vocabulary lists containing empathy
100 Top "SAT" Words
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"The narrative goes a bit more blaming the refugees," said Rudiger, who believes empathy for the plight of those escaping conflict has diminished.
From BBC ⢠Jun. 18, 2026
It reflects "humanity's ability to overcome challenges and adversity through hard work, collaboration and empathy".
From Barron's ⢠Jun. 17, 2026
She had a big heart and lots of empathy.
From The Wall Street Journal ⢠Jun. 16, 2026
With “Disclosure Day,” it’s clear that this unprecedented, Earth-shattering event brought oft-pondered questions about empathy and humanism back to the forefront for cinema’s great dreamer.
From Salon ⢠Jun. 13, 2026
Maybe that’s why Don had detected a—what had he called it?—an empathy link.
From "The Son of Neptune" by Rick Riordan
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Š Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American HeritageŽ Idioms Dictionary copyright Š 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
