empathetic
em-puh-THET-ik
/ˌɛm.pəˈθɛt.ɪk/
showing an ability to understand and share the feelings of another from their perspective
Implies a deep psychological connection where one mentally steps into another person's shoes to experience their emotional state.
The story behind the word. Coined in English in the early 20th century as a translation of the German psychological term 'Einfühlung' ('feeling into'). It joins Greek 'en-' (in) with 'pathos' (feeling), describing the mental act of projecting oneself directly into another person's inner reality.
Word relationships
- understanding: Understanding is broader and can refer to intellectual comprehension, whereas empathetic specifically requires emotional sharing.
- perceptive: Perceptive highlights sharp observation of details, while empathetic highlights emotional identification.
- apathetic: Apathetic denotes a complete lack of feeling, interest, or concern.
- callous: Callous implies an insensitive and hardened disregard for others.
Commonly confused with
- sympathetic: Sympathetic means feeling pity or sorrow for someone else's misfortune; empathetic means actively experiencing their feelings as if they were your own.
Word family
- empathy (noun): the ability to understand and share feelings of another
- empathize (verb): to express or feel empathy
- empath (noun): a person with an unusual capacity for sensing others' emotions
Collocations
- empathetic listener
- empathetic response
- highly empathetic
- empathetic understanding
Idioms & expressions
- put yourself in someone else's shoes
Example sentences
- "The empathetic doctor listened patiently as the anxious patient described her symptoms and fears." Healthcare communication
- "An empathetic listener does not rush to offer solutions, choosing instead to reflect the speaker's emotional state." Modern psychology discourse
Memory hook
Think of 'EM-pathy' as entering someone else's MIND ('EM' = Enter Mind) to feel their emotional PATH. Feeling into someone's shoes.
When not to use
Do not use when you merely feel sorry for someone from a distance without experiencing their perspective; use sympathetic instead.
Fun facts
- The word empathetic was created relatively recently (around 1909) specifically to describe visual art appreciation before moving to human psychology.
Related words
Explore more words
empathy, sympathize, sympathy, compassion, vicarious, heartfelt
Also appears in
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