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Glite Dictionary
empathetic

empathetic

30 4.4
To understand and share other people's feelings
  • adjective
  • /ˌɛmpəˈθɛtɪk/
translation icon : empático
  • In doing so, the program must teach children and adults to be empathetic to others.
  • empathetic understanding
  • empathetic response
  • empathetic listening

And my dad was so empathetic and so patient with me.

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Examples

  • The sample taker should have sound empathetic listening skills and unconditional respect for the patient that allows an appropriate response.

    Academic text (2015)

  • Finally, and perhaps most essential, the facilitator must have "empathetic understanding" for students.

    Academic text (2012)

  • And my dad was so empathetic and so patient with me.

    Mulligan Brothers Interviews

  • And they were just really empathetic questions and offers.

    Evan Carmichael

  • You are a lot more empathetic, believe me.

  • Many participants pointed out that they are more empathetic at work and more easily show that they care.

    Academic text (2000)

  • Effective care requires a keen sense of perception and empathetic understanding.

    Academic text (2002)

  • Building an effective dialogue requires three things: empathetic listening, caring, and a willingness to share yourself with others.

    Fiction book (1992)

  • And she was incredibly empathetic and incredibly mothering.

    Liam Tuffs

  • The teacher was empathetic, always taking the time to listen to her students' concerns.

Synonyms

sympathetic
vsempathetic
152 3.4

Feeling or showing kindness and understanding to someone who is upset

involves feeling and sharing others emotions more deeply than general kindness
understanding
vsempathetic
50 3.6

Showing sympathy and care for other people's feelings

focuses more on directly sharing others feelings rather than broad insight
empathic
vsempathetic
15 4.6

To understand and share other people's feelings

is the same in meaning but differs only in spelling
commiserative
vsempathetic
7.9

Showing sympathy to someone who feels sad or has trouble

applies more widely to understanding and sharing feelings in any situation

Antonyms

indifferent
46 4.4

Not interested or showing no strong feeling about something

apathetic
24 6.8

Not showing much interest or energy

How Empathetic

compassionate
151 3.7
empathetic
30 4.4
sympathetic
152 3.4

Surface Forms

empathetic positive
empatheticker comparative
empathetickest superlative

Morphology

empathetic = empathy (transparent) = empathy + etic

The adjective's meaning is directly formed from the noun 'empathy' with a standard adjectival suffix, so learners knowing 'empathy' will readily infer 'empathetic'.

Etymology

Empathetic comes from the parts em- 'in' and pathos 'feeling', the same root as sympathy. So to be empathetic is like 'feeling into' another person, which is why it means understanding and sharing someone else's feelings.