Sympathetic

/ˌsɪm.pəˈθɛt.ɪk/ · adjective

Meaning

Of, related to, feeling, showing, or characterized by sympathy..

Definitions by Sense

1. Of, related to, feeling, showing, or characterized by sympathy.
2. Attracting the liking of others. (of a person)
3. (relational) Relating to, producing, or denoting an effect which arises through an affinity, interdependence, or mutual association.
4. (neuroanatomy, neurology, relational) Relating to or denoting the part of the autonomic nervous system consisting of nerves arising from ganglia near the middle part of the spinal cord, supplying the internal organs, blood vessels, and glands, and balancing the action of the parasympathetic nerves.
5. (neuroanatomy) A sympathetic nerve.

Example Sentences

John looked very upset. I gave him a sympathetic look.

Vaublanc, in San Domingo so sympathetic to the sorrows of labour in France, had to fly from Paris in August, 1792, to escape the wrath of the French workers.

Sympathetic magic is based on imitation or correspondence.

sympathetic ink

Sympathetic innervation involves epinephrine.

It was suggested that adrenaline might act at the junction of sympathetic nerves and the effector organs, and that adrenaline might be released at sympathetic nerve endings.

Synonyms for sympathetic

Antonyms for sympathetic

Related Words

Word Forms

• more sympathetic
• most sympathetic
• sympathetick
• sympathetical
• sympathetics

Usage Notes

Choose a synonym only when it preserves the intended meaning, tone, and grammar of the full sentence.

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