INDEX:
1. to feel sorry because someone else is in a bad situation
2. to not feel sorry for someone in a bad situation
3. to tell someone that you sympathize with them
4. what you say to tell someone that you sympathize
5. someone who is kind and shows sympathy
6. a feeling of sympathy
7. relating to someone who is so unlucky, so unhappy etc that you feel sorry for them
8. to try to make someone feel sorry for you
RELATED WORDS
see also
↑ COMFORT/MAKE SB FEEL BETTER
↑ UNDERSTAND/NOT UNDERSTAND
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1. to feel sorry because someone else is in a bad situation
▷ feel sorry for /ˌfiːl ˈsɒri fɔːʳǁ-ˈsɑːri-/ [verb phrase]
to feel sad for someone because they have had bad luck or they are in a bad situation :
▪ I think he felt sorry for me because I’d just lost my wallet.
▪ He’ll probably go to jail for this. It’s his wife I feel sorry for.
▪ I feel sorry for the poor person who’s going to have to sort this mess out.
▪ I feel really sorry for young married couples these days. It’s hard going for them.
can’t help feeling sorry for somebody
use this when you should not really feel sorry for someone, but you do
▪ I know he’s being a jerk, but I can’t help feeling a little sorry for him.
▷ sympathize also sympathise British /ˈsɪmpəθaɪz/ [intransitive verb]
to feel sad for someone who is having problems, because you understand how they feel :
▪ My dear, I completely understand and sympathize, but there’s not much I can do about it, really.
sympathize with
▪ She felt Mark should have sympathised with her and supported her, instead of criticizing.
sympathize with somebody’s plight/problems/dilemma
▪ It’s hard not to sympathize with the plight of single parents in today’s world.
▷ have/feel sympathy for /ˌhæv, ˌfiːl ˈsɪmpəθi fɔːʳ/ [verb phrase]
to feel sad for someone who is having problems, because you understand how they feel :
▪ I have great sympathy for anyone who has lived through depression.
▪ It wasn’t possible not to feel sympathy for Anna -- she’d lost her husband and her son in the space of only a few weeks.
have/feel deep sympathy for
▪ The judge said he had the deepest sympathy for Maria’s situation, but that he had no option but to sentence her.
▷ feel for /ˈfiːl fɔːʳ/ [transitive phrasal verb]
to sympathize very strongly and sincerely with someone who has problems, is suffering etc :
▪ Of course I feel for him - he’s my brother. But he did bring it on himself.
▪ You couldn’t help but feel for Charles. He’d been so unlucky in life.
▷ pity /ˈpɪti/ [transitive verb not in progressive]
to feel very sorry for someone who is in a much worse situation than you :
▪ I pity anyone who has to feed a family on such a low income.
▪ I don’t want you to pity me - I just want you to help me.
▪ He felt pity for Marla out there all by herself in some little nowhere town.
▷ my heart goes out to /maɪ ˌhɑːʳt gəʊz ˈaʊt tuː/ spoken
use this to say that you feel extremely sorry for someone, especially because something very sad has happened to them :
▪ I know how awfully disappointed you must be, and my heart goes out to you.
▪ My heart went out to all those poor little children standing shivering in the cold.
▷ take pity on /ˌteɪk ˈpɪti ɒn/ [verb phrase]
to feel sorry for someone and do something to help them :
▪ The old couple, poor as they were, took pity on her and gave her food.
▪ We walked on through the pouring rain until a kind driver took pity on us and offered us a ride.
▷ understand /ˌʌndəʳˈstænd/ [intransitive/transitive verb not in progressive]
to realize that someone is unhappy or having problems, and behave kindly to them :
▪ I’m sure if you talk to your boss, he’ll understand.
▪ You can only apologize, and hope that she’ll understand.
understand why/what/how
▪ I completely understand how things are when money is tight.
▪ We’re trying very hard to understand what she’s going through.
2. to not feel sorry for someone in a bad situation
▷ have/feel no sympathy for /hæv, fiːl ˌnəʊ ˈsɪmpəθi fɔːʳ/ [verb phrase]
to feel that someone’s problems are their own fault :
▪ I have no sympathy for him - he hasn’t even tried to look for a job.
▪ I’m afraid I don’t have much sympathy for people who spend more than they can afford and then find themselves in debt.
have/feel little sympathy for somebody
▪ The fact is that most Americans feel little sympathy for AIDS sufferers.
▷ my heart bleeds (for somebody) /maɪ ˌhɑːʳt ˈbliːdz (fəʳ somebody )/ spoken
use this humorously when you do not feel any sympathy at all for someone :
▪ ‘He says he can’t come out tonight because he has to look after the kids.’ ‘My heart bleeds! That must be the first time he’s stayed in with them since they were born!’
3. to tell someone that you sympathize with them
▷ offer your sympathy /ˌɒfəʳ jɔːʳ ˈsɪmpəθiǁˌɔːf-/ [verb phrase] formal
to tell someone that you feel sympathy for them, especially in a letter, after someone they love has died :
▪ She wrote a short letter offering her sympathy.
▪ Bouquets and hand-written cards offering sympathy surrounded the scene of the accident.
offer your sympathy to
▪ My husband joins me in offering our sincere sympathy to you and to Susan at this sad time.
▷ commiserate /kəˈmɪzəreɪt/ [intransitive verb] formal
to express your sympathy for someone when they are unhappy about something, especially something that is not really very serious :
▪ ‘Poor Alistair!’ she commiserated. ‘Let me buy you lunch.’
commiserate with
▪ When he failed his driving test, I called him up and commiserated with him.
commiserate about
▪ In several of their letters, Hartley and Burns commiserated about the problems of old age.
commiseration /kəˌmɪzəˈreɪʃ ə n/ [uncountable noun]
▪ ‘I’m afraid I didn’t have any success,’ I said, and my colleague shook his head in commiseration.
▷ send/offer/express condolences /ˌsend, ˌɒfəʳ, ɪkˌspres kənˈdəʊlənsə̇zǁ-ˌɔːf-/ [verb phrase]
to express sympathy to someone whose close relative or friend has died - use this in formal or official situations :
send/offer/express condolences to
▪ We take this opportunity to send our condolences to the families of those who lost their lives in this disaster.
▪ After the funeral, foreign ambassadors lined up to offer their condolences to the widow of the late president.
deep/heartfelt/sincere condolences
▪ In a statement read on television, Saleh expressed ‘deepest condolences’ to the families of the victims.
4. what you say to tell someone that you sympathize
▷ I’m sorry /aɪm ˈsɒriǁ-ˈsɑːri/ spoken
say this to tell someone you are sad that something bad has happened to them :
▪ I heard about your father’s death; I’m very sorry.
▪ Jules, I am sorry. I had no idea.
I’m sorry about
▪ Mavis, I’m really sorry about your Ma. It must have been a terrible shock.
▷ I/we’ll be thinking of you /aɪ, wiːl biː ˈθɪŋkɪŋ əv juː/ spoken
say this to tell someone that you are worried about them and that you hope they will be all right :
▪ Take care, Lucy. I’ll be thinking of you.
▪ Tell Harry I’ll be thinking of him and I hope he’ll be home soon.
▷ bad luck /ˌbæd ˈlʌk/ British spoken
say this to show your sympathy for someone who has tried to do something and failed :
▪ Bad luck, Paul. I’m sure you’ll pass next time.
▪ Oh what a shame. Bad luck Chris.
▷ you have my deepest sympathy/with deepest sympathy /juː ˌhæv maɪ ˌdiːpə̇st ˈsɪmpəθi, wɪð ˌdiːpə̇st ˈsɪmpəθi/ formal written
use this in a letter to someone you do not know very well, whose close relative or friend has died :
▪ We were so sorry to hear of your sister’s death. You have our deepest sympathy.
5. someone who is kind and shows sympathy
▷ sympathetic /ˌsɪmpəˈθetɪk◂/ [adjective]
kind to people who are in an unpleasant situation, and ready to comfort them or share their problems :
▪ My friends were all extremely sympathetic when they heard I’d lost my job.
▪ Noticing my embarrassment, the teacher gave me a sympathetic smile.
sympathetic to/towards
▪ Try being a bit more sympathetic towards her -- you might get better results.
sympathetically [adjective]
▪ She listened sympathetically to all our complaints.
▪ Kramer nodded sympathetically.
▷ understanding /ˌʌndəʳˈstændɪŋ/ [adjective]
sympathetic and patient, even when someone behaves badly, because you understand their problems and feelings :
▪ He’s funny, energetic, understanding, and a great teacher.
▪ Irene often has to take time off work. Fortunately she has a very understanding boss.
▪ My parents were wonderfully understanding throughout my divorce.
▷ compassionate /kəmˈpæʃ ə nɪt, kəmˈpæʃ ə nət/ [adjective]
someone who is compassionate feels a lot of pity for people who are suffering and wants to help them :
▪ The church has inspired countless compassionate men and women to help the needy in times of famine, war, and plague.
compassionate to/towards
▪ Our city has earned a reputation as a place where government is compassionate toward the poor and disadvantaged.
compassionately [adverb]
▪ Political refugees need our protection and we urge the government to view their plight more compassionately.
▷ caring /ˈke ə rɪŋ/ [adjective]
loving and sympathetic, especially so that you want to help people when they are in trouble :
▪ Just because a family has money does not guarantee that the children have responsible and caring parents.
▪ It is possible for men to be tough and, at the same time, caring and sensitive.
▷ a sympathetic ear/a shoulder to cry on /ə ˌsɪmpəθetɪk ˈɪəʳ, ə ˌʃəʊldəʳ tə ˈkraɪ ɒn/ [noun phrase]
someone who will listen sympathetically when you tell them about your troubles :
▪ Remember your mother’s always here if you need a shoulder to cry on.
▪ Watt found a sympathetic ear when he described his family’s situation to Captain Schiller.
6. a feeling of sympathy
▷ sympathy /ˈsɪmpəθi/ [uncountable noun]
the feeling you have when you are sorry for someone who is having problems, and you understand how they feel :
▪ Relatives of the aircrash victims were treated with great sympathy.
▪ She looked at him with sympathy.
▪ The trip also is intended to raise money and sympathy for the plight of the Tibetan people.
have/feel/express sympathy for somebody
▪ The Prime Minister expressed outrage at the attack, and sympathy for the families of the victims.
deep sympathy
a very strong feeling of sympathy
▪ You have my deepest sympathy, and my thoughts are with you.
▷ pity /ˈpɪti/ [uncountable noun]
a feeling that you have when you feel very sorry for someone, often when you are unable to help them :
▪ It’s a civil war. They don’t want our pity, they need our help.
▪ When I returned to school, my classmates looked at me with pity in their eyes.
feel/have pity
▪ I felt such pity for that young girl sitting alone in the bus station.
be full of pity/be filled with pity
▪ She was full of pity for the little boy with no one to love and care for him.
▷ compassion /kəmˈpæʃ ə n/ [uncountable noun]
a strong feeling of pity for someone who is suffering, and a desire to help them :
▪ Of course we must insist on punishment, but the criminal must also be treated with compassion.
compassion for/to/towards
▪ Russell’s father had no compassion for his son’s physical disabilities.
▪ What are you doing now to show compassion toward the victims of torture?
▷ understanding /ˌʌndəʳˈstændɪŋ/ [uncountable noun]
a sympathetic attitude to someone that is based on your understanding :
▪ Demonstrate your empathy and understanding of your children’s problems.
▪ There seems to be a lack of understanding on the part of managers when it comes to employees’ personal problems.
▪ The book gave me an understanding of what it must be like to be addicted to drugs.
7. relating to someone who is so unlucky, so unhappy etc that you feel sorry for them
▷ poor /pʊəʳ/ [adjective only before noun] especially spoken
use this to talk to or about someone that you feel sorry for :
▪ The poor girl gets blamed for everything that goes wrong.
▪ Poor baby. Come here and let me give you a cuddle.
poor old
informal
▪ I hear poor old Steve broke his ankle.
▷ pitiful /ˈpɪtɪf ə l/ [adjective]
a pitiful person looks or sounds very sad and unlucky and you feel very sorry for them :
▪ John looked pitiful, his whole body weak with exhaustion.
▪ the pitiful cries of an injured puppy
▪ The horses were in a pitiful condition, thin and covered with sores.
pitifully [adverb]
▪ The woman sobbed pitifully, begging to be left alone.
▷ pathetic /pəˈθetɪk/ [adjective]
someone who is pathetic is someone that you feel sorry for even though you often also have no respect for them :
▪ There is something pathetic about a 40-year-old man who still has his mother do his laundry.
▪ Yang looked at me with a pathetic expression on his face.
▪ We found a small dog sitting outside the back door, looking pathetic.
pathetically [adverb]
▪ ‘No one ever listens to me,’ she said pathetically.
▪ Suddenly, he looks pathetically young and scared.
▷ wretched /ˈretʃɪd, ˈretʃəd/ [adjective]
someone who is wretched is very unhappy or unlucky, so that you feel very sorry for them - used especially in literature :
▪ With a violent drunkard for a husband, he thought, that wretched woman must lead a life of terror.
▪ Billy lay on the bed, wretched and close to tears.
8. to try to make someone feel sorry for you
▷ play on somebody’s sympathy also play for sympathy /ˌpleɪ ɒn somebodyˈs ˈsɪmpəθi, ˌpleɪ fəʳ ˈsɪmpəθi/ [verb phrase]
to unfairly try to make someone feel sorry for you, in order to gain an advantage for yourself :
▪ She had lain in her bed for years, feigning illness and playing on the sympathy of her daughters.
▪ He decided it was best to play for sympathy on this occasion, because she might know if he tried to lie.
▷ hard-luck story/sob story /ˌhɑːʳd ˈlʌk ˌstɔːri, ˈsɒb ˌstɔːriǁˈsɑːb-/ [countable noun]
a story or explanation, especially one that is untrue, told by someone in order to make other people feel sorry for them :
▪ A beggar approached me with some hard-luck story about an accident.
give somebody a hard-luck/sob story
▪ The defendant gave us some sob story about a sick child.