sympathy

sympathy — 名詞

1. a sincere feeling of sadness and concern you have when you learn that someone is

1.名詞B1
釋義

同情

對他人苦難的關懷與難過

a sincere feeling of sadness and concern you have when you learn that someone is experiencing pain, trouble, or misfortune, along with a wish to help or comfort them.

例句

Evelyn felt deep sympathy for the children who had lost their home in the flood.

Evelyn 對那些在洪水中失去家園的孩子們深感同情。

collocation: deep sympathy / feel sympathy for

The letter from the retired teacher was full of sympathy for Gita's situation.

那位退休老師的信中充滿了對 Gita 處境的同情。

preposition pattern: sympathy for [situation]

同義詞
  • compassion

    stronger emotional drive to actively help; less common in everyday speech

  • pity

    can feel condescending or distanced; sympathy sounds warmer and more supportive

  • concern

    broader — can describe worry without sadness, while sympathy specifically involves shared sorrow

反義詞
  • indifference

    lack of interest or concern; the opposite of caring about someone's suffering

文法句型

sympathy + for + person

sympathy + for + situation

用法筆記

Commonly followed by 'for' to name either the person (sympathy for him) or the difficulty (sympathy for his situation). Unlike 'empathy,' this sense does not require sharing the same feeling — it describes concern from an outside perspective.

常見錯誤

❌I have sympathy for his pain.
✅I feel sympathy for him in his pain.
💡Sympathy is directed at the person, not at the suffering itself.
❌I give you sympathy for your exam.
✅I feel sympathy for you because the exam was very hard.
💡Use 'feel' or 'have,' not 'give,' for this emotional sense.

2. a formal or written expression of sadness sent to someone whose close relative o

2.名詞B2
釋義

慰問

對親友去世表達哀傷

a formal or written expression of sadness sent to someone whose close relative or friend has recently died, intended to offer comfort during their grief.

例句

Omar wrote a note of sympathy to Haruto after hearing about his grandmother's passing.

Omar 寫了一封慰問信給 Haruto，得知他祖母過世的消息。

pattern: note/letter of sympathy to [person]

The manager sent a bouquet of flowers with a card expressing the team's sympathy.

經理送了一束花，並附上一張表達團隊慰問的卡片。

verb: express (one's) sympathy

同義詞
  • condolences

    more formal; almost exclusively used for deaths; 'sympathy' is slightly warmer and more personal

  • commiseration

    less common; can feel old-fashioned or overly formal

文法句型

(one's) sympathy + to + person

sympathy + for + loss/death

message/letter/card + of + sympathy

用法筆記

Almost always appears in fixed expressions: 'offer/extend one's sympathy,' 'a message/letter of sympathy,' or 'sympathy card.' This sense is closely associated with funerals and bereavement. Avoid using it for non-death misfortunes (use sense 1 instead).

常見錯誤

❌I expressed sympathy for his surgery.
✅I expressed sympathy for his loss.
💡Sense 2 is for bereavement only; use sense 1 for other difficulties.
❌She gave sympathy to the flood victims.
✅She felt sympathy for the flood victims.' (sense 1)
💡'Give sympathy' in the condolence sense is typically reserved for death-related contexts.

3. agreement with or approval of a particular opinion, plan, or set of beliefs, oft

3.名詞B2
釋義

贊同

對意見或理念的支持

agreement with or approval of a particular opinion, plan, or set of beliefs, often shown by supporting a cause or position publicly.

例句

Rania has some sympathy with the idea of a four-day work week.

Rania 對於每週工作四天的點子有些贊同。

pattern: have sympathy with [idea]

The senator expressed sympathy for the environmental bill during the debate.

該參議員在辯論中表達了對環保法案的贊同。

pattern: express sympathy for [cause/bill]

同義詞
  • support

    broader — can include active help; sympathy implies agreement at the level of belief or feeling

  • approval

    more formal; less emotional than sympathy

  • backing

    implies active, public support; stronger than sympathy

反義詞
  • opposition

    active disagreement with an idea or cause

文法句型

sympathy + with + idea/cause/opinion

have + sympathy + with/for

用法筆記

Distinguish from sense 4: sense 3 refers to approval of an idea, cause, or belief (sympathy with a proposal), while sense 4 is about loyal, often personal support for a person or group through hard times.

常見錯誤

❌I have sympathy for your decision to move abroad.' (ambiguous)
✅I have sympathy with your reasoning, even if I disagree with the outcome.
💡Use 'with' to signal agreement with the idea; use a different structure when you mean personal support.

4. steady loyalty or backing given to a person, team, or organization, especially w

4.名詞B2
釋義

聲援

對人或團體的忠誠支持

steady loyalty or backing given to a person, team, or organization, especially when they are facing difficulty or criticism.

例句

Fans remained in sympathy with the coach despite ten straight losses.

即使球隊連輸十場，球迷們仍舊聲援總教練。

phrase: in sympathy with [person/group]

Eleni's sympathy for the old hospital never wavered, and she volunteered there every weekend.

Eleni 對那家老醫院的聲援從未動搖，她每週末都去那裡當志工。

同義詞
  • solidarity

    stronger political/group dimension; implies shared risk or action

  • allegiance

    more formal and often implies a duty-based loyalty

  • backing

    more active and practical; can include financial or organizational help

反義詞
  • hostility

    active opposition or unfriendliness toward a person or group

文法句型

in sympathy with + person/group

sympathy + for + person/group

用法筆記

Frequently appears in the phrase 'in sympathy with' + person/group. Unlike sense 3 (agreement with ideas), this sense describes loyalty to people or institutions, often demonstrated through ongoing support or action.

常見錯誤

❌I am in sympathy with the proposal to raise taxes.
✅I am in sympathy with the new director and her plans.
💡Use 'in sympathy with' for people/groups you support; use 'have sympathy with' (sense 3) for ideas and proposals.

5. a work stoppage by employees who are not themselves in a dispute but want to sta

5.名詞C1
釋義

聲援罷工

為支持其他罷工者而停工

a work stoppage by employees who are not themselves in a dispute but want to stand together with colleagues who have already walked off the job.

例句

The warehouse staff walked out in sympathy with the striking drivers.

倉庫員工發動聲援罷工，支持正在罷工的司機。

phrase: walk out in sympathy with

Niran's union voted to strike in sympathy after the hospital cleaners were locked out.

Niran 的工會投票決定進行聲援罷工，因為醫院的清潔工被鎖在門外。

phrase: strike in sympathy

同義詞
  • solidarity action

    broader term covering any supportive work stoppage, not just strikes

文法句型

in sympathy with + striking workers

sympathy strike

walk out + in sympathy

用法筆記

Almost always used in the prepositional phrase 'in sympathy with' or as the compound noun 'sympathy strike.' Uncommon in everyday conversation; appears mostly in labor-relations news reporting. This sense is more common in British English than American English.

常見錯誤

❌The students went on a sympathy strike for the cafeteria workers.
✅The students refused to attend class in sympathy with the cafeteria workers.
💡For non-workers, use 'in sympathy with' rather than calling it a 'strike.'

6. a natural bond of understanding and closeness between people who share similar t

6.名詞C1
釋義

默契

因志同道合而產生的共鳴

a natural bond of understanding and closeness between people who share similar tastes, opinions, or emotional responses, so that they easily sense what the other is thinking or feeling.

例句

Yael and Vivek discovered a deep sympathy when they met at the book club.

Yael 和 Vivek 在讀書會相識後，發現彼此之間有深深的默契。

collocation: deep/natural sympathy between [people]

The two musicians played in perfect sympathy, each anticipating the other's tempo changes.

兩位音樂家演奏時默契十足，都能預測對方的節奏變化。

phrase: in perfect sympathy

同義詞
  • affinity

    closer in meaning — a natural liking or attraction; sympathy emphasizes emotional understanding more than mere liking

  • rapport

    focuses on smooth communication and mutual understanding; sympathy adds an emotional-harmony dimension

  • harmony

    broader — can apply to sounds, colors, or relationships; sympathy specifically describes a meeting of minds or feelings

  • empathy

    the ability to feel what someone else feels; sympathy in this sense is about shared orientation rather than shared emotion

文法句型

sympathy + between + people

in sympathy + with + person

deep sympathy

用法筆記

This sense goes beyond simple agreement — it describes a deeper, almost instinctive harmony between people. Often used in artistic or collaborative contexts ('in perfect sympathy'). Less common in everyday conversation than senses 1 or 3. Distinguish from sense 1 (concern for suffering) which requires a misfortune.

常見錯誤

❌I have a sympathy for her taste in music.' (sounds like sense 1)
✅There is a natural sympathy between us when it comes to music.
💡Use 'sympathy between' or 'in sympathy' for this shared-harmony sense.