Sympathy vs. Empathy Definition, Examples, Usage

Sympathy vs Empathy

Do you not know when to use sympathy vs empathy? Use this page to discover sympathy vs empathy examples. You can also use this page to learn the definition of sympathy vs empathy.

Sympathy vs Empathy: The Easy Explanation

Sympathy means “to have compassion for, or feel sorry about, someone else’s sorrow or misfortunes”:

She felt sympathy for the children suffering in the Ethiopian famine.

Empathy means “understanding or experiencing someone else’s emotions or experiences as if they were your own, or as a shared experience”:

She felt empathy for the grieving widow because she had lost her own husband the year before.

When to Use Sympathy vs. Empathy

The word sympathy is a noun that means “to have compassion for, or feel sorry about, someone else’s sorrow or misfortunes” (as in “you have my sympathy”).

The word empathy is a noun that refers to “understanding or experiencing someone else’s emotions or experiences as if they were your own, or as a shared experience” (as in “empathy for a fellow patient”).

Examples of Sympathy vs. Empathy

Sympathy vs Empathy Example #1) Jackie had sympathy for John, who lost his house in a fire.

(In this sentence, “sympathy” refers to feeling sorry for someone in distress.)

Sympathy vs Empathy Example #2) Having just lost her mother to cancer, Janice felt great empathy for Joe during his chemotherapy.

(In this sentence, “empathy” refers to understanding and sharing the emotion of another person.)

How to Remember the Difference Between Sympathy vs Empathy

The difference between the meanings of the words sympathy vs empathy is as much emotional as it is grammatical. Knowing which word to use for a given situation can be tricky.

A good rule of thumb is to determine which word to use based on the level of connection that the subject of the sentence feels with the object.

For example, if the subject identifies with, and shares the pain of, the object, “empathy” is the correct word to use: She knew that he had lost his father when he was very young, just like she had, and felt a deep empathy for him rise in her heart.

Instead, if the subject is aware of the object’s suffering but feels no direct connection other than sorrow for the object, “sympathy” is the right word to use: As he watched the hurricane footage from his warm, dry apartment, he felt sympathy for those losing their homes.

Theory Into Practice: Sympathy vs Empathy

Is the underlined word correct? See if you can tell.

Sympathy poured in from all over the country for the new orphan.

Right: This is about that sorrow that comes from a large community for an individual person. It is general, and so “sympathy” should be used.

Having also faced serious financial troubles, Caroline had sympathy for Donny over his money woes.

Wrong: She has gone through the same problems and can relate. She has a shared experience, and so “empathy” should be used.