sympathetic
/ˌsɪmpəˈθetɪk/ (bre, ipa) · /ˌsɪmpəˈθetɪk/ (ame, ipa) · /ˌsim-pə-ˈthe-tik/ (ame, mw)
sympathetic — 形容詞
- sympatheticpositive
- more sympatheticcomparative
- most sympatheticsuperlative
1. feeling or showing that you recognize someone's pain, sadness, or difficulty and
體諒；同情
對他人的痛苦表示理解與關懷
feeling or showing that you recognize someone's pain, sadness, or difficulty and want to be kind or helpful toward them
The school nurse was sympathetic when Noa described the pain in his ankle.
Noa 描述腳踝疼痛時，學校護士表現得很體諒。
sympathetic + when + explanation
Renata's friends sent a sympathetic message after hearing about her grandmother's illness.
Renata 的朋友聽到她祖母生病的消息後，寄了一封關懷的慰問信。
collocation: sympathetic message / sympathetic letter
A sympathetic passer-by stopped to help Leo fix his bicycle on the side of the road.
一位好心的路人停下來幫 Leo 修好路邊的腳踏車。
The manager remained sympathetic to the staff's concerns about the new schedule.
經理仍然體諒員工對新班表的顧慮。
Mizuki found her landlord surprisingly sympathetic when she asked for extra time to pay the rent.
Mizuki 發現她的房東在她請求寬限繳租日期時出乎意料地體諒。
- compassionate
stronger emotional tone; implies deep awareness of suffering rather than general kindness
- understanding
focuses on the ability to grasp someone's feelings rather than feeling sorry for them
- supportive
emphasises active help and encouragement alongside emotional care
- caring
broader and more everyday; less specific to situations of hardship
- unsympathetic
the direct opposite; showing no care or concern
- indifferent
not caring either way, rather than actively cold
文法句型
sympathetic + to + noun phrase
sympathetic + toward + noun phrase
sympathetic + when + clause
用法筆記
This sense often pairs with 'to' or 'toward' to show who or what the sympathy is directed at. When used before a noun (e.g. 'a sympathetic friend'), no preposition is needed.
常見錯誤
2. used of a person in a story, film, or television show who is shown in a way that
討喜
角色令人喜愛或產生共鳴
used of a person in a story, film, or television show who is shown in a way that makes the audience feel they are decent, understandable, and worth supporting
The novel's main character is not especially sympathetic, but readers still enjoy the story.
這部小說的主角並不特別討喜，但讀者仍然喜歡這個故事。
sympathetic character in fiction
Aaron thought the film's villain was far more sympathetic than the hero.
Aaron 認為電影裡的反派比主角更討人喜歡。
comparative: more sympathetic than
A well-written sympathetic side character can make an entire film feel warmer.
一個寫得出色的討喜配角可以讓整部電影感覺更溫暖。
Critics praised the play for creating a deeply sympathetic portrait of a difficult woman.
評論家稱讚這齣劇將一位難相處的女性刻劃得令人同情。
- unsympathetic
in fiction, describes a character the audience dislikes or cannot relate to
- unlikable
more straightforward; the opposite of 'easy to like'
文法句型
sympathetic + character / hero / villain / figure
more sympathetic than + noun phrase
make + noun phrase + sympathetic
用法筆記
Unlike sense 1, this sense does not take 'to' or 'toward'. The focus is on a character's quality as designed by the writer, not on the feelings of a real person.
3. agreeing with a person, idea, or plan and being willing to offer approval or pra
支持；贊同
對某人或某事表示贊同支持
agreeing with a person, idea, or plan and being willing to offer approval or practical help
The mayor is sympathetic to the idea of adding more bike lanes in the city centre.
市長支持在市中心增設自行車道的構想。
sympathetic + to + idea / proposal
Mayumi's parents were not sympathetic to her plan to drop out of college.
Mayumi 的父母不贊同她打算輟學的計畫。
negative: not sympathetic to
Several union leaders are sympathetic to the workers' demand for higher pay.
幾位工會領袖支持工人提高薪資的要求。
Ife is looking for a publisher who is sympathetic to experimental fiction.
Ife 正在尋找一位對實驗性小說持支持態度的出版社。
- supportive
closer in meaning to sense 3 than to sense 1; suggests active backing
- approving
emphasises positive judgment without necessarily implying help
- favourable
slightly more formal; often used of responses to proposals or policies
- opposed
directly opposite; actively against rather than merely not supportive
- unsympathetic
in this sense, means not in agreement rather than cold-hearted
文法句型
sympathetic + to + noun phrase (idea / plan / proposal / cause)
sympathetic + toward + noun phrase
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 1: sense 3 focuses on agreement and approval of ideas or causes, while sense 1 focuses on emotional care toward a person in difficulty. Sense 3 does not describe feelings about someone's suffering.
sympathetic — 名詞
1. relating to the part of the nervous system that controls automatic body function
交感神經
自律神經系統中控制非自主反應的部分
relating to the part of the nervous system that controls automatic body functions such as heart rate, breathing, sweating, and the fight-or-flight response
The surgeon carefully avoided damaging the sympathetic nerves during the operation.
外科醫生在手術過程中小心避免損傷交感神經。
medical compound: sympathetic nerves
An overactive sympathetic nervous system can keep a person in a constant state of alert.
過度活躍的交感神經系統會讓人一直處於警戒狀態。
compound: sympathetic nervous system
The sympathetic nervous system speeds up the heart when a person feels afraid.
交感神經系統會在感到害怕時加速心臟跳動。
Yoga and deep breathing can calm an overactive sympathetic nervous system.
瑜伽和深呼吸有助於平穩過度活躍的交感神經系統。
- parasympathetic
the other division of the autonomic nervous system, responsible for 'rest and digest' functions
文法句型
sympathetic + nerve / nerves / trunk / ganglion
sympathetic nervous system
用法筆記
This is a technical medical term. The noun sense only appears in specialised anatomy or physiology contexts, almost always as the first part of a compound noun ('sympathetic nerve', 'sympathetic trunk').