empathize

especially British, em·pa·thise

[em-puh-thahyz]

verb (used without object)

empathized, empathizing 

1. to experience empathy (often followed bywith ).

   His ability to empathize with people made him an excellent marriage counselor.

empathize

/ ˈɛmpəˌθaɪz /

verb

1. (intr) to engage in or feel empathy

Word History and Origins

Origin of empathize¹

First recorded in 1920–25; empath(y) + -ize

Example Sentences

To empathize with her is not to presume to understand her; it’s to get caught in the riptide of her mysterious pleasures and pains.

From Salon

Yesenia Pérez, who received her undergraduate degree from UC Santa Barbara in June and will be studying at the campus in the fall for a master’s in technology management, said she empathized with both sides.

From Los Angeles Times

We can empathize with the calamities that prompted these characters to take such foolish chances, but we would never make those choices ourselves.

From Los Angeles Times

Instead, they can empathize, telling them, “It makes sense — we are all so scared.”

From Los Angeles Times

Her fans didn’t and don’t simply read her, they empathize with her characters’ insecurities about their changing bodies and lives.

From Salon

Related Words

• sympathize 

When To Use

What does empathize mean?

To empathize with someone is to imagine or try to deeply understand what they are feeling or what it’s like to be in their situation.The ability or the practice of doing this is called empathy, which is often described as the ability to feel what others are feeling as if you are feeling it yourself. So, to empathize is to feel empathy for someone. People who do this are described as empathetic.Some people use the word empathize interchangeably or in overlapping ways with the word sympathize, which generally means to share someone else’s emotions, especially sadness. However, others distinguish the two terms by emphasizing the importance of empathizing with others (feeling their pain) as opposed to sympathizing with them (feeling sorry for them).Example: Having faced many of the same challenges, Nyala is able to empathize with other immigrants and what they go through.