1. (

• sympathy ,
• understanding ,

) an inclination to support or be loyal to or to agree with an opinion; "his sympathies were always with the underdog"; "I knew I could count on his understanding" ;

2. (

• sympathy ,
• fellow_feeling

) sharing the feelings of others (especially feelings of sorrow or anguish) ;

3. (

• sympathy

) a relation of affinity or harmony between people; whatever affects one correspondingly affects the other; "the two of them were in close sympathy" ;