Sympathy and empathy often appear in similar contexts, but are they the same? If there’s a difference between them, what is it? Let’s take a closer look.
Sympathy vs. empathy explained
Sympathy and empathy are both nouns; their verb forms are sympathize and empathize.
I felt genuine sympathy for her loss, as I too had experienced grief.
He could truly empathize with their struggle because he had experienced similar hardship.
She expressed deep empathy for their plight, feeling terrible for them.
His constant jokes showed a complete lack of sympathy for how others felt.
| Examples with “sympathy” | Examples with “empathy” |
| I wish he’d show me a little more sympathy. | The empathy between the two women was obvious. |
- Sympathy describes the feeling of “being sorry for somebody; showing that you understand and care about somebody’s problems”.
- Empathy describes “the ability to understand another person’s feelings, experience, etc.”
Psychiatric Medical Care describes the difference between sympathy and empathy as, “[sympathy] is more of a feeling of pity for another. Empathy is our ability to understand how someone feels while sympathy is our relief in not having the same problems”.
The general consensus is that sympathy and empathy are actually quite similar, and the difference between them is more nuanced than most confused words typically are. In fact, if you look them up on Thesaurus.com, you’ll see that they show up as synonyms for each other. Nevertheless, they do differ, and to summarize the difference:
- Empathy describes an intellectual understanding or ability to see how and why someone suffers or is suffering.
- Sympathy describes participating in that suffering or feelings of pity oneself.
The history of sympathy and empathy
If we look at the history, sympathy was around long before empathy was first introduced by the German philosopher Rudolf Lotze, in 1858. Sympathy comes from the Greek word sympathes, which directly translates to, “having a fellow feeling, affected by like feelings”. “Sympathes” is based on the also Greek root words ‘syn‘, “together” + pathos, “to suffer, feel”; so, combining them we get “to suffer and feel together“.
Empathy is from the German word Einfühlung, which translates to “in + feeling“; so, an in-feeling. Einfühlung is actually Lotze’s translation of the Greek word empatheia, which also uses pathos (how cool!), + en, “in”. Right, so to compare them, we have an “in feeling” and a “together feeling”, and apparently the feeling generally being suffering applies to both.
Examples with sympathy
“Pity may represent little more than the impersonal concern which prompts the mailing of a check, but true sympathy is the personal concern which demands the giving of one’s soul.” – Martin Luther King Jr.
Americans overwhelmingly voice sympathy for the Israeli people in the current conflict, and there’s widespread support for sending humanitarian aid. (Anthony Salvanto, CBS News, 19 Oct. 2023)
His heartfelt speech at the memorial service evoked feelings of deep sympathy among the attendees.
Many people expressed sympathy on social media for the victims of the natural disaster.”
“The teacher’s empathy and sympathy for her students made her a beloved figure in the school.”
Examples with empathy
“As you get older you have more respect and empathy for your parents. Now I have a great relationship with both of them.” – Hugh Jackman
Blonde clearly wants us to feel for Norma Jeane, but it dwells on her pain so obsessively … that the movie’s empathy feels like another form of exploitation. — Justin Chang, NPR, 23 Sept. 2022
Artificial Intelligence is getting smart enough to express and measure empathy.—Lisa Bannon, WSJ, 7 Oct. 2023
“I think we all have empathy. We may not have enough courage to display it.” – Maya Angelou
The film likely benefitted from the empathy of many audiences separated from their own families by COVID restrictions.—Patrick Frater, Variety, 18 Oct. 2023
Synonyms of empathy
- appreciation
- compassion
- insight
- pity
- sympathy
- rapport
- warmth
- affinity
Sympathy vs. empathy, associate “sympathy” with “sorry”—you feel sorry for someone’s situation. Empathy is understanding their feelings, like “empathizing” with their experience.
Synonyms of sympathy
- compassion
- empathy
- kindness
- sensitivity
- tenderness
- understanding
- unity
- warmth
- affinity
- accord
Origin of sympathy
1570s, “affinity between certain things,” from French sympathie (16c.) and directly from Late Latin sympathia “community of feeling, sympathy,” from Greek sympatheia “fellow-feeling, community of feeling,” from sympathes “having a fellow feeling, affected by like feelings,” from assimilated form of syn- “together” (see syn-) + pathos “feeling” (from PIE root
Origin of empathy
1908, modeled on German Einfühlung (from ein “in” + Fühlung “feeling”), which was coined 1858 by German philosopher Rudolf Lotze (1817-1881) as a translation of Greek empatheia “passion, state of emotion,” from assimilated form of en “in” (see en- (2)) + pathos “feeling” (from PIE root Check out other commonly confused words
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Sources
- Harper, Douglas. “Etymology of sympathy.” Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com/word/sympathy. Accessed 29 October, 2023.
- Harper, Douglas. “Etymology of empathy.” Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com/word/empathy. Accessed 29 October, 2023.
Work Sheet
Question 1 of 10According to the blog post, what is a primary description of sympathy?
Based on the usage notes, which word should be used if you mean feeling sorry for someone’s plight, not just understanding it?
The blog post traces the origin of ‘sympathy’ back to which language?
Empathy is described in the post as primarily involving what kind of understanding?
According to the post, when was the term leading to ’empathy’ (Einfühlung) first introduced?
The blog post states that ‘sympathy’ is about feeling sorry for someone’s ______.
‘Sympathize’ and ’empathize’ are the _______ forms of ‘sympathy’ and ’empathy’.
According to the Psychiatric Medical Care definition in the post, sympathy can involve a feeling of _______ in not having the same problems.
The Greek roots for ‘sympathy’ (syn + pathos) translate to “to suffer and _______ together”.
The German word ‘Einfühlung’, related to ’empathy’, translates directly to “in + _______”.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the main diff between sympathy & empathy?
+Empathy is the ability to understand another person’s feelings and experiences. Sympathy is feeling sorry for their problems or showing you understand and care about their situation.
Are sympathy and empathy the same thing?
+While they appear similar and Thesaurus.com lists them as synonyms, the text states they do differ. Empathy is an intellectual understanding, whereas sympathy involves feelings of pity.
When should I use ‘sympathy’?
+Use ‘sympathy’ when you mean feeling sorry for someone’s problems or showing you care. The text gives an example: “I felt genuine sympathy for her loss, as I too had experienced grief.”
When should I use ’empathy’?
+Use ’empathy’ when you mean the ability to understand another person’s feelings or experiences. It is an intellectual understanding. The text gives an example: “He could truly empathize with their.
Can I express empathy for a plight?
+According to the text, this is incorrect usage. Empathy is understanding, not expressing a feeling of being sorry. For feeling sorry about a plight, sympathy would be the correct word.
Yash, D. "Sympathy vs. Empathy, What’s the Difference?." Grammarflex, Jun 6, 2025, https://www.grammarflex.com/whats-the-difference-between-sympathy-and-empathy/.
