different between sympathy vs enthusiasm

English

Etymology

Borrowed from Middle French sympathie, from Late Latin sympath?a (“feeling in common”), from Ancient Greek ?????????? (sumpátheia, “fellow feeling”), from ???????? (sumpath?s, “affected by like feelings; exerting mutual influence, interacting”) +? -?? (-ia, “-y”, nominal suffix); equivalent to sym- (“acting or considered together”) +? -pathy (“feeling”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?s?m.p??.i/
• Rhymes: -?mp??i

Noun

sympathy (countable and uncountable, plural sympathies)

1. A feeling of pity or sorrow for the suffering or distress of another.

   Synonym: compassion

   1. (in the plural) The formal expression of pity or sorrow for someone else's misfortune.
   2. The ability to share the feelings of another.
2. Inclination to think or feel alike; emotional or intellectual accord; common feeling.
   1. (in the plural) Support in the form of shared feelings or opinions.
   2. Feeling of loyalty; tendency towards, agreement with or approval of an opinion or aim; a favorable attitude.

3. An affinity, association or mutual relationship between people or things such that they are correspondingly affected by any condition.
   1. Mutual or parallel susceptibility or a condition brought about by it.
   2. (art) Artistic harmony, as of shape or colour in a painting.

Usage notes

• Used similarly to empathy, interchangeably in looser usage. In stricter usage, empathy is stronger and more intimate, while sympathy is weaker and more distant; see empathy: usage notes.

Antonyms

• contempt (context-dependent)

Derived terms

Translations

References

• “sympathy”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–present.
• “sympathy”, in Merriam–Webster Online Dictionary, (Please provide a date or year).

English

Etymology

First attested from 1603, from Middle French enthousiasme, from Late Latin enthusiasmus, from Ancient Greek ???????????? (enthousiasmós), from ?? (en, “in”) + ???? (theós, “god”) + ????? (ousía, “essence”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?n??ju?z?æz(?)m/, /?n-/
• (yod dropping) IPA^(key): /-?u?-/

Noun

enthusiasm (countable and uncountable, plural enthusiasms)

1. (obsolete or historical) Possession by a god; divine inspiration or frenzy.
2. Intensity of feeling; excited interest or eagerness.

3. Something in which one is keenly interested.
   • 1968, Central States Archaeological Journal (volumes 15-16, page 154)

     My main enthusiasm is attending and seeing the progress and interest of collectors, to meet old friends, and hopefully to make new friends.

Related terms

• enthuse
• enthusiast
• enthusiastic
• enthusiastically

Translations

Anagrams

• Shunamites