empathy
🇺🇸 /ˈɛmpəθiː/
📖 Definitions
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noun
The ability to understand and share the feelings, thoughts, and experiences of another person by imagining oneself in their situation; the capacity to vicariously experience what another person is feeling.; In psychology, the process by which an individual projects their own personality or feelings into an object, work of art, or another person, thereby understanding or appreciating it more deeply.; In aesthetics and philosophy, the imaginative projection of one's own consciousness or emotional state into another being or object, such as a landscape or a piece of music.; A general sense of emotional resonance or connection with others; the quality of being emotionally attuned to the experiences of those around oneself.
🔗 Details
Word forms
uncountable
Collocations
show empathyhave empathylack of empathyfeel empathyempathy forempathy with
Derivatives
empatheticempathicempathizeempathiseempatheticallyempathically
Synonyms
compassionunderstandingsympathysensitivityrapport
Antonyms
indifferenceapathycallousness
Commonly confused
sympathy
EN: 'Sympathy' is feeling sorrow or pity for someone's situation; 'empathy' is the ability to understand and share another person's feelings from their perspective.
empathetic
EN: 'Empathetic' and 'empathic' are both valid adjective forms of 'empathy'; 'empathetic' is more common in everyday usage while 'empathic' is preferred in clinical/academic contexts.
Spelling tips
EN: Remember 'empathy' begins with 'em-' (not 'en-'), derived from Greek 'empatheia'. Both adjective forms 'empathetic' and 'empathic' are correct.
💬 Examples
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Her empathy for the grieving family allowed her to offer comfort without saying a word.
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The therapist demonstrated empathy by reflecting the patient's emotions back to them during the session.
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Through empathy, the viewer felt as though the stormy painting conveyed a deep sense of inner turmoil.
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Good leaders show empathy by listening to their team members and acknowledging their struggles.