empathize
To understand and share the feelings of another person
Examples
In a meeting
“We need to empathize with our users to design a better onboarding experience.”
Over coffee
“I really empathize with what you're going through after losing your job.”
Why this word
sympathize
Empathize involves understanding from within another's perspective; sympathize is feeling sorry for someone from outside
understand
Understand is intellectual comprehension; empathize involves emotional identification with another's feelings
relate
Relate is casual connection through shared experience; empathize is deeper emotional perspective-taking
Usage tip
Use when discussing emotional understanding in customer service, team dynamics, or design thinking. Stronger than 'sympathize' because it implies shared feeling, not just pity.
Etymology
Greek 'empatheia' (em- 'in' + pathos 'feeling')
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Related words
apprehensive
Anxious or worried about something that may happen in the future
evoke
To bring a feeling, memory, or image into the mind
resent
To feel bitterness or indignation toward something or someone
placate
To make someone less angry or hostile through appeasement
demoralize
To cause someone to lose confidence or hope
endear
To cause to be loved or liked