Standard Lemma guide

empathic

adj · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ɛmˈpæθɪk/
  • General-American: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -æθɪk

1

adj

Meaning 1

Showing or expressing empathy.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • Be fair to people: even those who manage to be empathic can't be telepathic. They're only human — they can't read your mind.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: empathetic

Antonyms: apathetic, cold

2

adj

Meaning 2

Of, pertaining to, or being an empath, having an extraordinarily high capability of sensing the emotions of others.

Doing so through psychological talent or training.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • Be fair to people: not everyone can be empathic, like Cathy is. Her gift is rare.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

adj

Meaning 3

Of, pertaining to, or being an empath, having an extraordinarily high capability of sensing the emotions of others.

Doing so through psychicness, telepathy, etc: that is, through either supernatural powers or neurotechnological powers.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: literature, media, parapsychology, pseudoscience, publishing, science-fiction

Examples

  • Near-synonyms: telempathic, telepathic
  • I didn't know he was empathic until I realized that he had evidently read my mind with his cyborg implant.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: telempathic, telepathic

Antonyms: none provided

4

adjective satellite

Meaning 4

showing empathy or ready comprehension of others' states

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • a sensitive and empathetic school counselor

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: empathetic

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Etymology tree English empathy Proto-Indo-European *-ikos Proto-Italic *-ikos Latin -icuslbor. Old French -iquebor. Middle English -ik English -ic English empathic From empathy + -ic.

Across languages

Translations

20 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: съпричастен (sǎpričasten) — showing or expressing empathy
  • Catalan: empàtic — showing or expressing empathy
  • Czech: empatický — showing or expressing empathy
  • Danish: empatisk — showing or expressing empathy
  • Dutch: empathisch — showing or expressing empathy
  • Finnish: empaattinen — showing or expressing empathy
  • French: empathique — showing or expressing empathy
  • German: empathisch — showing or expressing empathy
  • German: einfühlsam — showing or expressing empathy
  • German: einfühlend — showing or expressing empathy
  • German: mitfühlend — showing or expressing empathy
  • German: teilnahmsvoll — showing or expressing empathy
  • Hungarian: empatikus — showing or expressing empathy
  • Italian: empatico — showing or expressing empathy
  • Māori: ngākau aroha — showing or expressing empathy
  • Norwegian Bokmål: empatisk — showing or expressing empathy
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: empatisk — showing or expressing empathy
  • Spanish: empático — showing or expressing empathy
  • Swedish: empatisk — showing or expressing empathy
  • Unami: kwëtamàlsi — showing or expressing empathy