'Sympathetic' definitions:
Definition of 'sympathetic'
From: WordNet
adjective
Of or relating to the sympathetic nervous system; "sympathetic neurons"; "sympathetic stimulation"
adjective
Expressing or feeling or resulting from sympathy or compassion or friendly fellow feelings; disposed toward; "sympathetic to the students' cause"; "a sympathetic observer"; "a sympathetic gesture" [ant: unsympathetic]
adjective
Showing or motivated by sympathy and understanding and generosity; "was charitable in his opinions of others"; "kindly criticism"; "a kindly act"; "sympathetic words"; "a large-hearted mentor" [syn: charitable, benevolent, kindly, sympathetic, good-hearted, openhearted, large-hearted]
adjective
(of characters in literature or drama) evoking empathic or sympathetic feelings; "the sympathetic characters in the play" [syn: sympathetic, appealing, likeable, likable] [ant: unappealing, unlikable, unlikeable, unsympathetic]
adjective
Having similar disposition and tastes; "with their many similar tastes, he found her a most sympathetic companion"
adjective
Relating to vibrations that occur as a result of vibrations in a nearby body; "sympathetic vibration" [syn: harmonic, sympathetic]
Definition of 'Sympathetic'
From: GCIDE
- Sympathetic \Sym`pa*thet"ic\, a. [See Sympathy, and cf. Pathetic.]
- 1. Inclined to sympathy; sympathizing. [1913 Webster]
- Far wiser he, whose sympathetic mind Exults in all the good of all mankind. --Goldsmith. [1913 Webster]
- 2. Produced by, or expressive of, sympathy. [1913 Webster]
- Ope the sacred source of sympathetic tears. --Gray. [1913 Webster]
- 3. (Physiol.) (a) Produced by sympathy; -- applied particularly to symptoms or affections. See Sympathy. (b) Of or relating to the sympathetic nervous system or some of its branches; produced by stimulation on the sympathetic nervious system or some part of it; as, the sympathetic saliva, a modified form of saliva, produced from some of the salivary glands by stimulation of a sympathetic nerve fiber. [1913 Webster]
- Sympathetic ink. (Chem.) See under Ink.
- Sympathetic nerve (Anat.), any nerve of the sympathetic system; especially, the axial chain of ganglions and nerves belonging to the sympathetic system.
- Sympathetic powder (Alchemy), a kind of powder long supposed to be able to cure a wound if applied to the weapon that inflicted it, or even to a portion of the bloody clothes. --Dunglison.
- Sympathetic sounds (Physics), sounds produced from solid bodies by means of vibrations which have been communicated to them from some other sounding body, by means of the air or an intervening solid.
- Sympathetic system (Anat.), a system of nerves and nerve ganglions connected with the alimentary canal, the vascular system, and the glandular organs of most vertebrates, and controlling more or less their actions. The axial part of the system and its principal ganglions and nerves are situated in the body cavity and form a chain of ganglions on each side of the vertebral column connected with numerous other ganglions and nerve plexuses. [1913 Webster]
Synonyms of 'sympathetic'
From: Moby Thesaurus
- accordant,
- adductive,
- affectionate,
- affinitive,
- agreeable,
- agreeing,
- akin,
- allergic,
- alluring,
- amenable,
- amicable,
- anaphylactic,
- appertaining,
- associative,
- assuring,
- at one,
- attracting,
- attractive,
- attrahent,
- attuned,
- benign,
- benignant,
- bleeding,
- brotherly,
- charitable,
- cheering,
- Christian,
- Christlike,
- Christly,
- clement,
- comforting,
- commiserative,
- comparable,
- comparative,
- compassionate,
- compatible,
- comprehending,
- concordant,
- condolatory,
- condolent,
- condoling,
- congenial,
- congruous,
- connective,
- consistent,
- consolatory,
- consoling,
- correlative,
- corresponding,
- decent,
- delicate,
- dragging,
- drawing,
- emotionable,
- empathetic,
- empathic,
- en rapport,
- encouraging,
- favorable,
- favorably disposed,
- forbearant,
- fraternal,
- frictionless,
- friendly,
- gentle,
- good,
- goosy,
- gracious,
- harmonious,
- heartening,
- hospitable,
- human,
- humane,
- hyperesthetic,
- hyperpathic,
- hypersensitive,
- impressionable,
- in accord,
- in concert,
- in rapport,
- in tune,
- inharmony,
- irritable,
- itchy,
- kind,
- kindhearted,
- kindly,
- kindly-disposed,
- lenient,
- like-minded,
- linking,
- loving,
- magnetic,
- magnetized,
- melting,
- merciful,
- nervous,
- nice,
- of good comfort,
- of one mind,
- open,
- open-minded,
- overrefined,
- oversensible,
- oversensitive,
- overtender,
- passible,
- peaceful,
- pertaining,
- pertinent,
- pitying,
- pleasant,
- prickly,
- proportionable,
- proportional,
- proportionate,
- pulling,
- reassuring,
- receptive,
- referable,
- referring,
- refined,
- relating,
- relational,
- relative,
- relieving,
- responsive,
- ruthful,
- sensible,
- sensitive,
- sib,
- simpatico,
- skittish,
- soft,
- softhearted,
- supersensitive,
- supportive,
- susceptible,
- sympathizing,
- tactful,
- tender,
- tenderhearted,
- tetchy,
- thin-skinned,
- ticklish,
- together,
- touchy,
- tugging,
- understanding,
- united,
- warm,
- warmhearted,
- well-disposed,
- well-intentioned,
- well-meaning