Sympathy — B1 Vocabulary
The feeling of being sorry for someone who is in a bad situation. You care about their pain from the outside.
Quick Answer
Sympathy means feeling sorry FOR someone. You see their pain from the outside and you care. “We sent flowers to show our sympathy.”
Example: Everyone expressed their sympathy after the accident.
Sympathy in 3 Sentences
Read these three sentences. Notice how sympathy is used:
- We sent a sympathy card to the family. (to say “we are sorry for your loss”)
- I have a lot of sympathy for people who work night shifts. (I feel sorry for them)
- The crowd showed sympathy for the injured player. (they cared about his pain)
A Quick Tip About SYMPATHY
Sympathy and empathy are close cousins with one key difference: sympathy feels FOR someone (from outside); empathy feels WITH them (from inside their shoes).
Using “empathy” for a standard condolence
✗ I sent an empathy card to my neighbour.
✓ I sent a sympathy card to my neighbour.
Easy way to remember: Sympathy = feeling Sorry for Someone.
Practice all Sympathy vs Empathy
Now practise sympathy together with the other words in this topic. Use Study, Practice, Flashcards, and Review.
Sympathy vs Empathy
Master sympathy and empathy — feeling FOR someone versus feeling WITH them. A small difference that changes everything.
Study Cards
Read the word, look at the picture, and say the example sentence.
Quick Practice
Choose the word that completes the sentence.
1 of 2
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Flashcards
Look at the picture first, then tap the card to check the word.
Spaced Review
Review cards today, then let the queue bring them back later.
Test Yourself: Sympathy
Choose the correct answer for each sentence. Click Check to see if you are right.
1. She sent a ______ card when my grandmother died.
2. What does sympathy mean?
3. Sympathy looks at someone’s pain from…
4. “I have great ______ for flood victims,” she said, donating money.
5. Which trick helps you remember sympathy?
Other Sympathy vs Empathy to Learn
Pick another word from this lesson — small steps add up fast.
Keep Going — One Word, Many Wins
You just learned sympathy — the caring-from-outside feeling. Condolence cards and kind words now have their proper name.
But there is a feeling that goes one step further — stepping INTO someone’s shoes and feeling their pain as your own. It is the word every job interview loves. Do you know it?
Next lesson: Empathy — B1 Vocabulary
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