What's the difference between empathy and sympathy?

How do I use empathy in a sentence?

Is empathy used in academic writing?

← Dictionary

empathy

/ˈempəθi/

IELTSAcademic

noun

The ability to understand and share another person’s feelings.

She offered empathy and helped calm her friend.

Adinary Nuance

Empathy focuses on feeling with someone, while sympathy is feeling for someone. Compassion is stronger and includes a wish to help; emotional contagion is more automatic and less reflective.

In other languages

Spanish: Empatía
Japanese: 共感
Korean: 공감
Vietnamese: Sự thấu hiểu
Chinese: 同理心

Common phrases

show empathywith empathyempathy for someone

Synonyms

fellow feeling identification 共鸣

Frequently asked questions

Is empathy formal or informal?: Is empathy formal or informal?
What's the difference between empathy and sympathy?: What's the difference between empathy and sympathy?
How do I use empathy in a sentence?: How do I use empathy in a sentence?
Is empathy used in academic writing?: Is empathy used in academic writing?