SYMPATHETIC

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does sympathetic mean? 

• SYMPATHETIC (adjective)
  The adjective SYMPATHETIC has 6 senses:

1. of or relating to the sympathetic nervous system

2. expressing or feeling or resulting from sympathy or compassion or friendly fellow feelings; disposed toward

3. showing or motivated by sympathy and understanding and generosity

4. (of characters in literature or drama) evoking empathic or sympathetic feelings

5. having similar disposition and tastes

6. relating to vibrations that occur as a result of vibrations in a nearby body

  Familiarity information: SYMPATHETIC used as an adjective is common.

 Dictionary entry details 

• SYMPATHETIC (adjective)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Of or relating to the sympathetic nervous system

Classified under:

Relational adjectives (pertainyms)

Context example:

sympathetic stimulation

Domain category:

anatomy; general anatomy (the branch of morphology that deals with the structure of animals)

physiology (the branch of the biological sciences dealing with the functioning of organisms)

Pertainym:

sympathetic nervous system (originates in the thoracic regions of the spinal cord; opposes physiological effects of the parasympathetic: reduces digestive secretions; speeds the heart; contracts blood vessels)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Expressing or feeling or resulting from sympathy or compassion or friendly fellow feelings; disposed toward

Context example:

a sympathetic gesture

Similar:

commiserative (feeling or expressing sympathy)

condolent (expressing sympathy with a person who experienced the death of a loved one)

empathetic; empathic (showing empathy or ready comprehension of others' states)

Also:

compassionate (showing or having compassion)

congenial (suitable to your needs)

kind (having or showing a tender and considerate and helpful nature; used especially of persons and their behavior)

Antonym:

unsympathetic (not sympathetic or disposed toward)

Derivation:

sympathy (an inclination to support or be loyal to or to agree with an opinion)

sympathy (sharing the feelings of others (especially feelings of sorrow or anguish))

Sense 3

Meaning:

Showing or motivated by sympathy and understanding and generosity

Synonyms:

benevolent; charitable; good-hearted; kindly; large-hearted; openhearted; sympathetic

Context example:

a large-hearted mentor

Similar:

kind (having or showing a tender and considerate and helpful nature; used especially of persons and their behavior)

Sense 4

Meaning:

(of characters in literature or drama) evoking empathic or sympathetic feelings

Synonyms:

appealing; likable; likeable; sympathetic

Context example:

the sympathetic characters in the play

Domain category:

drama (the literary genre of works intended for the theater)

Antonym:

unsympathetic ((of characters in literature or drama) tending to evoke antipathetic feelings)

Sense 5

Meaning:

Having similar disposition and tastes

Context example:

with their many similar tastes, he found her a most sympathetic companion

Similar:

similar (marked by correspondence or resemblance)

Derivation:

sympathy (a relation of affinity or harmony between people; whatever affects one correspondingly affects the other)

Sense 6

Meaning:

Relating to vibrations that occur as a result of vibrations in a nearby body

Synonyms:

harmonic; sympathetic

Context example:

sympathetic vibration

Similar:

harmonious (musically pleasing)

 Context examples 

He was wholly unknown to them, yet some of them had even been sympathetic.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

I was sorry to cause you the sympathetic pain which I know that you felt.

(The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

There is, of course, the other woman, the drink, the push, the blow, the bruise, the sympathetic sister or landlady.

(The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

A benign or malignant extra-adrenal sympathetic paraganglioma arising from the urinary bladder.

(Bladder Paraganglioma, NCI Thesaurus)

A group of sympathetic amines containing a catechol group derived from the amino acid tyrosine.

(Catecholamine, NCI Thesaurus)

A 36-amino acid peptide present in many organs and in many sympathetic noradrenergic neurons.

(Neuropeptide Y, NLM, Medical Subject Headings)

The CREB family of transcription factors are involved in NGF-induced survival of sympathetic neurons.

(Nerve Growth Factor Pathway, NCI Thesaurus/BIOCARTA)

They occur along the sympathetic nerves, in the adrenal gland, and in various other organs.

(Chromaffin System, NLM, Medical Subject Headings)

There was no sympathetic relation between his tail and his massive jaws.

(White Fang, by Jack London)

Natural or synthetic Alpha-adrenergic Blocking Agents selectively bind to adrenergic receptors, or compete with natural adrenergic mediators, and inactivate alpha adrenergic receptors of the sympathetic nervous system.

(Alpha-adrenergic antagonist, NCI Thesaurus)