2
general::
sympathetic
kind to someone who is having problems:
• My friends were very sympathetic when I lost my job. • Jill was a very sympathetic listener. • a sympathetic attitude
compassionate
wanting to help people who are suffering or having problems:
• The doctor was a compassionate man who always acted in his patients’ best interests.
understanding
not getting angry with someone or criticizing them, because you can see that they have problems:
• I have had a lot of time off work, but my boss is very understanding. • an understanding look
caring
caring about other people’s feelings and wanting to help them:
• I have very caring parents. • Most of the nurses are very caring.
Longman-Thesaurus
3
general::
adj. showing you understand sb's feelings VERBS appear, be, feel, look, seem, sound | become | find sb I found the doctors quite sympathetic. ADV. deeply, extremely, genuinely, immensely, truly, very a patient and deeply sympathetic man He sounded genuinely sympathetic. | largely | fairly, pretty, quite | suitably She made suitably sympathetic noises down the phone. PREP. about My boss is being very sympathetic about my problems. | to They were extremely sympathetic to my plight. | towards I did not feel sympathetic towards them. in agreement with sb/sth VERBS appear, be, seem ADV. deeply, extremely, highly, very | entirely | less than | broadly, generally, quite | politically PREP. to The government is broadly sympathetic to our ideas.
Oxford Collocations Dictionary