empathy — the ability to understand and share the feelings of another person
Part of speech: NOUN
Definition: the ability to understand and share the feelings of another person
Pronunciation (IPA): /ˈempəθi/
Example Sentences
- The robot tried to show empathy, but saying 'I understand your pain, beep boop' didn't quite work.
- Teachers need empathy to understand why students might struggle with learning.
- His complete lack of empathy made him terrible at customer service - he once told a crying customer to 'get over it'.
empathy
NOUN[/ˈempəθi/]
the ability to understand and share the feelings of another person
While the stranger walked past the crying child without looking, the girl sat down beside him with tears of empathy in her own eyes.
EM (inside) + PATHY (feeling) — by stepping directly EM (inside) the shoes and heavy PATHY (feeling) of his friend, he showed genuine empathy.
Beyond a silent wish of telepathy and polite words of sympathy, she gave her friend a long hug of true empathy.
Got the picture? Now let's practice.
🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
From Greek 'empatheia', formed from 'em-' (in) and 'pathos' (feeling, suffering). The term was coined in the early 20th century as a translation of the German word 'Einfühlung' (feeling into).
Breakdown
em- (in) + path (feeling, suffering from Greek pathos) + -y (noun suffix) = empathy
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“The robot tried to show empathy, but saying 'I understand your pain, beep boop' didn't quite work.”
“Teachers need empathy to understand why students might struggle with learning.”
“His complete lack of empathy made him terrible at customer service - he once told a crying customer to 'get over it'.”
“Reading novels can help develop empathy by allowing us to experience different perspectives.”
📚Related Words
Want to master 27,000+ words?
Sign up free for flashcards & quizzes.