empathise

IPA/ˈem.pə.θaɪz/
IPA/ˈem.pə.θaɪz/

empathise — verb

  • empathisepresent simple I / you / we / they
  • empathises3rd person singular
  • empathising-ing form
  • empathisedpast simple

1. to understand and share the feelings of another person by imagining yourself in

1.動詞不及物B2
釋義

to understand and share the feelings of another person by imagining yourself in their position — for example, feeling their sadness when they lose a loved one, or understanding their frustration when they face a setback at work.

例句

Mei-Lin could not empathise with her brother's fear of flying, since she loved the air.

empathise + with + someone's + fear/noun

Jamal could easily empathise with the main character's struggle to fit in at school.

modal verb pattern: could + easily + empathise with

同義詞
  • sympathise

    focuses on feeling pity or sorrow FOR someone, while empathise involves understanding and sharing the feeling itself

  • understand

    more general and cognitive; empathise adds an emotional, shared dimension

  • relate to

    less formal, suggests having a personal experience in common with the other person

反義詞
  • ignore

    to deliberately pay no attention to someone's feelings

文法句型

empathise + with + someone

empathise + with + someone + 's + (pain/struggle/situation/grief)

用法筆記

Always used with the preposition 'with' — the object is typically a person or their emotional state. Frequently occurs after modal verbs such as 'can' and 'could'. Common in formal and informal contexts about emotional support, leadership, and personal relationships.

常見錯誤

❌I empathise you after what you went through.
✅I empathise with you after what you went through.
💡'empathise' always requires 'with' before the object.
❌She empathised his situation completely.
✅She empathised with his situation completely.
💡the preposition 'with' is never omitted.