Meaning & use
Sympathetically
Last updated
In a manner that shows understanding, compassion, or support for someone else's feelings or situation.
See it in a sentence
The nurse listened sympathetically as the patient described her fears.
He responded sympathetically to his friend's complaints about work.
A note on using this word
"Sympathetically" can also describe an unintended physical resonance, as when one string vibrates sympathetically with another nearby.
Words with a similar meaning
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Words with an opposite meaning
Another way to use it
2. adverb
In a way that involves vibrating or responding in resonance with another object, without direct contact.
The unplayed strings hummed sympathetically as the guitarist strummed a chord.
Make it your own
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