sympathetic figure

Meaning

1. 1phrasecountable

   A person in a story or situation who makes you feel pity, understanding, or support.

   Grammar: Countable: a sympathetic figure, the sympathetic figure, sympathetic figures. Often used after 'a' or 'the'.

   Patterns

   • a sympathetic figure
   • portray someone as a sympathetic figure
   • emerge as a sympathetic figure

   The novel's hero is a sympathetic figure who struggles against poverty.

   Despite his mistakes, he comes across as a sympathetic figure.

   The film turns the villain into a surprisingly sympathetic figure.

Word forms

Common combinations

a sympathetic figure

She is a sympathetic figure in the documentary.

portray someone as a sympathetic figure

The director portrays the soldier as a sympathetic figure.

emerge as a sympathetic figure

By the end of the book, the mother emerges as a sympathetic figure.

a genuinely sympathetic figure

He is a genuinely sympathetic figure, not a villain.

Synonyms and how they differ

pitiable figure

Focuses on causing pity, often with a slight sense of looking down on the person; sympathetic figure is warmer and more respectful.

tragic figure

Suggests a person destroyed by fate or their own flaws; a sympathetic figure may simply be likable and understandable.

underdog

Means someone expected to lose, which often makes them sympathetic, but underdog emphasizes competition, not feelings.

Opposites

Word family

sympathy noun

The feeling of being sorry for someone or understanding their suffering.

sympathetically adverb

In a way that shows sympathy or understanding.

sympathetic adjective

Showing that you understand and care about someone's problems.

Commonly confused: sympathetic figure or sympathetic person?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “sympathetic figure”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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