Word
empathy
Meanings
the ability to understand and share the feelings of another person
the ability to understand another person’s experiences or perspective, even if you do not feel the same emotions
Definition
Empathy is the ability to understand and share another person’s feelings.
Empathy means sensing what someone else is feeling and understanding their situation. It often involves imagining yourself in their place and responding with care. Empathy can help people communicate better and support each other during difficult times.
Examples
- She showed empathy when I told her about my loss.
- Good teachers have empathy for students who are struggling.
- It’s hard to feel empathy for someone who refuses to listen.
- His empathy helped the team stay calm during the crisis.
Common mistake
Learners often confuse empathy with sympathy, using empathy when they mean simply feeling sorry for someone.
More at B1 level
- metaphor A metaphor is a way of describing something by saying it is something else to create a clear image …
- democracy Democracy is a system of government in which people choose their leaders through voting.
- simile A simile is a comparison that says one thing is like or as another.
- protagonist A protagonist is the main character in a story, play, or film.
- anxiety Anxiety is a feeling of worry or nervousness, often about something that might happen.
More nouns
- fascism Fascism is an extreme right-wing political system with a powerful dictator, strong nationalism, and…
- gaslighting Gaslighting is a form of psychological manipulation that makes someone doubt their own memory, judg…
- narcissist A narcissist is someone who is excessively self-centered and craves admiration while showing little…
- metaphor A metaphor is a way of describing something by saying it is something else to create a clear image …
- niche A niche is a specialized place, role, or market that suits a particular person or product.