Sympathize with
Sympathize with verb - To have sympathy for.
Usage example: don't expect me to sympathize with you—each month you should have paid off your credit card in full
Understand and sympathize with are semantically related in recognize worth topic. In some cases you can use "Understand" instead a verb "Sympathize with".
Understand
Understand verb - To form an opinion or reach a conclusion through reasoning and information.
Sympathize with and understand are semantically related in commiserate with topic. You can use "Sympathize with" instead a verb "Understand".
Mutual synonyms
Related pairs
- dig and sympathize with
- dig and understand
- recognize and sympathize with
- recognize and understand
- appreciate and sympathize with
- appreciate and understand
- see and sympathize with
- see and understand
- perceive and sympathize with
- perceive and understand
- follow and sympathize with
- follow and understand
- acknowledge and sympathize with
- acknowledge and understand
Both terms in one sentence
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It's intentional in this case, as Carpenter set out to make Michael impossible to sympathize with or even understand.
Source: Film / Halloween (1978) - I'm not gonna say 'I understand.' I'm not gonna sympathize with you and tell you how hard it must be for you... But you want to know how I am?
Source: This Is Unforgivable! - You can always understand (and usually sympathize with the reasons behind) why the characters act the way they do-and it's pretty much always in character-even when you want to grab them and scream 'NONONONO, don't do that!
Cite this Source
Understand and Sympathize with. (2016). Retrieved 2026, July 31, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/sympathize_with/understand
Sympathize with & Understand. N.p., 2016. Web. 31 Jul. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/sympathize_with/understand>.
Understand or Sympathize with. 2016. Accessed July 31, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/sympathize_with/understand.
Google Ngram Viewer shows how "sympathize with" and "understand" have occurred on timeline