Meaning & use
empathy
The ability to understand or share another person's feelings and perspective.
See it in a sentence
Listening without interrupting helped her show empathy for her frustrated friend.
The novel invites empathy for a character whose life is very different from ours.
A note on using this word
Empathy involves understanding another person's experience. Sympathy more often emphasizes concern for someone; the two can occur together.
Words with a similar meaning
understanding
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Make it your own
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