SYMPATHIZE

sympathize, sympathise, empathize, empathise, understand

(verb) be understanding of; “You don’t need to explain--I understand!”

commiserate, sympathize, sympathise

(verb) to feel or express sympathy or compassion

sympathize, sympathise

(verb) share the feelings of; understand the sentiments of

Source: WordNet® 3.1

Etymology

Verb

sympathize (third-person singular simple present sympathizes, present participle sympathizing, simple past and past participle sympathized) (North America)

(intransitive) To have, show or express sympathy; to be affected by feelings similar to those of another, in consequence of knowing the person to be thus affected.

(intransitive) To support, favour, have sympathy (with a political cause or movement, a side in a conflict / in an action).

(transitive) To say in an expression of sympathy.

(intransitive) To have a common feeling, as of bodily pleasure or pain.

(transitive, obsolete) To share (a feeling or experience).

(intransitive) To agree; to be in accord; to harmonize.

Usage notes

Used similarly to empathize, interchangeably in looser usage. In stricter usage, empathize is stronger and more intimate, while sympathize is weaker and more distant. See empathy: usage notes.

Further, the general “agree, accord” sense of sympathize is not shared with empathize.

Source: Wiktionary

Sym"pa*thize, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Sympathized; p. pr. & vb. n. Sympathizing.] Etym: [F. sympathiser. See Sympathy.]

1. To have a common feeling, as of bodily pleasure or pain. The mind will sympathize so much with the anguish and debility of the body, that it will be too distracted to fix itself in meditation. Buckminster.

2. To feel in consequence of what another feels; to be affected by feelings similar to those of another, in consequence of knowing the person to be thus affected. Their countrymen . . . sympathized with their heroes in all their adventures. Addison.

3. To agree; to be in accord; to harmonize. Dryden.

Sym"pa*thize, v. t.

1. To experience together. [Obs.] "This sympathized . . . error." Shak.

2. To ansew to; to correspond to. [Obs.] Shak.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition