Etymology

sympathize

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Today it means: To have, show or express sympathy; to be affected by feelings similar to those of another, in consequence of knowing the person to be thus affected; to feel for. Full definition →

French sympathiser
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The story

  1. French · borrowed fromsympathiser
  2. English todaysympathize

Borrowed from French sympathiser. By surface analysis, sympathy + -ize. Displaced native Old English efnþrōwian (literally “to suffer with or together”).

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.