Synonyms of empathetic

empathetic

adjective

ˌem-pə-ˈthe-tik 

as in compassionate

having or showing the capacity for sharing the feelings of another

an empathetic social worker who soon realized that the single mother was at her breaking point

Synonyms & Similar Words

• compassionate
• sympathetic
• empathic
• humane
• understanding
• gentle
• loving
• affectionate
• warm
• benevolent
• commiserative
• feeling
• perceptive
• sensitive
• gracious
• merciful
• considerate
• friendly
• kind
• charitable
• magnanimous
• kindly
• kindhearted
• tolerant
• lenient
• pitying
• softhearted
• good-natured
• warmhearted
• tenderhearted
• congenial
• bighearted
• cordial
• benignant
• tender
• good-tempered
• largehearted
• genial
• well-disposed
• clement
• ruthful

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• unsympathetic
• callous
• heartless
• inhuman
• hard
• unfeeling
• insensitive
• obdurate
• inhumane
• indifferent
• thoughtless
• cold-blooded
• aloof
• insensate
• unthinking
• inconsiderate
• uncaring
• cool
• uninterested
• coldhearted
• hard-hearted
• unfriendly
• ruthless
• pitiless
• unloving
• merciless
• severe
• bigoted
• tough
• brutal
• stern
• harsh
• hostile
• unaffectionate
• oppressive
• grim
• unrelenting
• abusive
• rough
• unkind
• malicious
• spiteful
• ungentle
• disagreeable
• surly
• hateful
• malevolent
• virulent
• mean
• blinkered
• acrimonious
• narrow-minded
• rancorous
• small-minded
• hard-bitten
• hard-boiled
• ill-tempered
• ill-natured

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of empathetic

But Sutton, like the others, said Howard’s empathetic manner was a big perk. —Janice Neumann, Chicago Tribune, 15 Apr. 2026

Here, learn how to recognize if your child is an empath and adopt strategies for supporting their uniquely empathetic traits. —Laura Wheatman Hill, Parents, 11 Apr. 2026

Individuals with Neptune in Pisces are often deeply empathetic and imaginative, dreaming through art, spirituality and the emotional tides of humanity. —Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 10 Apr. 2026

The Christophers introduces itself as another indie spin on a familiar conceit, then heads in a much more empathetic direction than Soderbergh’s usual portrayal of burglars on the down-low. —David Sims, The Atlantic, 10 Apr. 2026