The words sympathy and empathy are often confused. This article looks at how each word is used.
If you have sympathy for someone who is in a bad situation, you are sorry for them, and show this in the way you behave towards them.
We expressed our sympathy for her loss.
I have had very little help from doctors and no sympathy whatsoever.
You can also use the adjective sympathetic,
She was very sympathetic to the problems of the students.
Empathy is the ability to share another person’s feelings and emotions as if they were your own.
Having begun my life in a children’s home I have great empathy with the little ones.
You can also use the adjective empathetic.
He is an empathetic listener.
The difference between the two words is in your involvement in someone else’s emotions and feelings. Sympathy involves an understanding of those emotions but implies a certain emotional distance whereas empathy involves experiencing and sharing the emotions with the other person.
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