sym ‧ pa ‧ thize BrE AmE ( also sympathise British English ) /ˈsɪmpəθaɪz/ verb [intransitive]
[ Word Family: noun : ↑ sympathy , ↑ sympathizer ; verb : ↑ sympathize ; adverb : ↑ sympathetically ; adjective : ↑ sympathetic ≠ ↑ unsympathetic ]
1 . to feel sorry for someone because you understand their problems:
I sympathize, but I don’t know how to help.
sympathize with
I can sympathize with those who have lost loved ones.
2 . to support someone’s ideas or actions
sympathize with
The public sympathized with the miners’ strike.
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THESAURUS
▪ sympathize ( also sympathise British English ) /ˈsɪmpəθaɪz/ to feel sad for someone because you understand their problems:
It must be awful for you – I do sympathize.
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He told me how difficult it was dealing with his parents, and I sympathized with him.
▪ feel sorry for somebody to feel sad for someone because they have had bad luck or are in a difficult situation:
I felt really sorry for him when he lost his job.
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It’s his wife I feel sorry for – on her own with four kids.
▪ understand to realize how someone feels and why they behave the way they do, and be kind to them:
I’m sure if you talk to him, he’ll understand.
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It’s important to try and understand teenagers.
▪ pity to feel sad for someone because they are in a very difficult situation:
The man paled when they found him guilty, and I pitied him.
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I pity anyone who has to feed a family on such a low income.