---
title: sympathy — school dictionary · trees and pragmatics
description: «sympathy» in the school dictionary: Sympathy is feeling sorry for someone who is sad, hurt or in trouble, and showing that you care. Every meaning for a pupil with its dependency tree and pragmatics.
---

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# sympathy

<!-- .vintro -->
**Who acts:** Sympathy, you, Sympathies, someone, I, his · **What happens:** feel, be, hurt, show, care, mean · **To what, where:** ideas, kind words, sympathy, great sympathy, sympathy card, Mrs

<!-- .vabout -->
«sympathy» in the school dictionary: its 3 meanings for a pupil and its 7 examples, every sentence parsed by Mova itself — its syntax tree, a dependency tree in the style of Universal Dependencies, and its pragmatics clause by clause. The word in the dictionary, with its sense in the lessons: [sympathy in the school dictionary](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/sympathy.md).

## Meaning 1 {#m1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Sympathy is feeling sorry for someone who is sad, hurt or in trouble, and showing that you care.

<!-- fold The tree, 18 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:sympathy:m1:1
# text = Sympathy is feeling sorry for someone who is sad, hurt or in trouble, and showing that you care.
1	Sympathy	Sympathy	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
2	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	aux	_	_
3	feeling	feel	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	0	root	_	_
4	sorry	sorry	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	3	xcomp	_	_
5	for	for	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
6	someone	someone	PRON	NN	Number=Sing|PronType=Ind	3	obl	_	_
7	who	who	PRON	WP	PronType=Rel	9	nsubj	_	_
8	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	9	cop	_	_
9	sad	sad	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	6	acl:relcl	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	11	punct	_	_
11	hurt	hurt	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	9	conj	_	_
12	or	or	CCONJ	CC	_	14	cc	_	_
13	in	in	ADP	IN	_	14	case	_	_
14	trouble	trouble	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
15	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	17	punct	_	_
16	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	17	cc	_	_
17	showing	show	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	3	conj	_	_
18	that	that	SCONJ	IN	_	20	mark	_	_
19	you	you	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Person=2|PronType=Prs	20	nsubj	_	_
20	care	care	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=2|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	17	advcl	_	SpaceAfter=No
21	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **feel** | present · progressive | Sympathy |  |  |  |  | for someone; sorry *property* | vn stimulus\_subject-30.4 «NP V ADJ»: agent=Stimulus |
| 2 | **is** | present |  |  |  |  |  | sad *property* | tree rules |
| 3 | **hurt** | participle |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn amuse-31.1 «NP V ADV-Middle»: agent=Experiencer |
| 4 | **show** | gerund | Sympathy *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn transfer\_mesg-37.1.1-1-1 «NP V»: agent=Agent |
| 5 | **care** | present | you |  |  |  |  |  | vn care-88.1-1 «NP V»: agent=Experiencer |

<!-- .note -->
One row per clause the reader finds. «not said here»: a role filled from the clause above. «roles by»: a VerbNet class and frame when one fits the verb, else the reader's rules on the tree.

## Meaning 2 {#m2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Sympathy can mean agreeing with or supporting someone's ideas or side.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:sympathy:m2:1
# text = Sympathy can mean agreeing with or supporting someone's ideas or side.
1	Sympathy	sympathy	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
2	can	can	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	3	aux	_	_
3	mean	mean	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	_
4	agreeing	agree	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	3	xcomp	_	_
5	with	with	ADP	IN	_	4	obl	_	_
6	or	or	CCONJ	CC	_	7	cc	_	_
7	supporting	support	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	4	conj	_	_
8	someone	someone	PRON	NN	Number=Sing|PronType=Ind	10	nmod:poss	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	's	's	PART	POS	_	8	case	_	_
10	ideas	idea	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	7	obj	_	_
11	or	or	CCONJ	CC	_	12	cc	_	_
12	side	side	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
13	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **mean** | can | Sympathy |  |  |  |  |  | vn intend-61.2-1 «NP V S»: agent=Agent clause=Topic |
| 2 | **agree** *speech: agree* *not said to happen* | gerund | Sympathy *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn correspond-36.1-1 «NP V»: agent=Agent |
| 3 | **support** | gerund | Sympathy *not said here* | someone's ideas or side |  |  |  |  | vn admire-31.2 «NP V NP»: agent=Experiencer idea=Stimulus |

<!-- .note -->
The example in this meaning, parsed on its own:

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
I have some sympathy with his view.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:sympathy:m2e:1
# text = I have some sympathy with his view.
1	I	I	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Sing|Person=1|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	have	have	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=1|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	some	some	DET	DT	PronType=Ind	4	det	_	_
4	sympathy	sympathy	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	_
5	with	with	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
6	his	his	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	7	nmod:poss	_	_
7	view	view	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **have** | present | I | some sympathy |  |  |  | with his view | vn birth-28.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent sympathy=Patient |
| 2 | **view** |  | his *= he* |  |  |  |  |  | nom view «cognition transitive»: poss=agent |

## Meaning 3 {#m3}

<!-- .note -->
Usage: formal — kept apart, not parsed.

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
«Sympathies» are the kind words you send when someone has died: «with deepest sympathy».

<!-- fold The tree, 14 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:sympathy:m3:1
# text = «Sympathies» are the kind words you send when someone has died: «with deepest sympathy».
1	«	«	PUNCT	``	_	2	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	Sympathies	sympathy	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	7	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
3	»	»	PUNCT	''	_	2	punct	_	_
4	are	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	7	cop	_	_
5	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
6	kind	kind	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	7	amod	_	_
7	words	word	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	0	root	_	_
8	you	you	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Person=2|PronType=Prs	9	nsubj	_	_
9	send	send	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=2|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	7	acl:relcl	_	_
10	when	when	SCONJ	WRB	_	13	mark	_	_
11	someone	someone	PRON	NN	Number=Sing|PronType=Ind	13	nsubj	_	_
12	has	have	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	13	aux	_	_
13	died	die	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part	9	advcl	_	SpaceAfter=No
14	:	:	PUNCT	:	_	18	punct	_	_
15	«	«	PUNCT	``	_	18	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
16	with	with	ADP	IN	_	17	case	_	_
17	deepest	deep	ADJ	JJS	Degree=Sup	18	amod	_	_
18	sympathy	sympathy	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	appos	_	SpaceAfter=No
19	»	»	PUNCT	''	_	18	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
20	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	7	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | present | Sympathies | the kind words |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **send** | present | you | the kind words *not said here* |  |  |  |  | vn confine-92-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent word=Theme |
| 3 | **die** | present · perfect | someone |  |  |  |  |  | vn calibratable\_cos-45.6.1 «NP.attribute V»: agent=Attribute |

## Example 1 {#x1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
I felt great sympathy for Sam when his dog died.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:sympathy:x1:1
# text = I felt great sympathy for Sam when his dog died.
1	I	I	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Sing|Person=1|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	felt	feel	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=1|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	great	great	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	4	amod	_	_
4	sympathy	sympathy	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	_
5	for	for	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
6	Sam	Sam	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	2	obl	_	_
7	when	when	SCONJ	WRB	_	10	mark	_	_
8	his	his	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	9	nmod:poss	_	_
9	dog	dog	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	nsubj	_	_
10	died	die	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	2	advcl	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **feel** | past | I | great sympathy |  |  |  | for Sam | vn hunt-35.1 «NP V NP PP.theme»: agent=Agent sympathy=Location for sam=Theme |
| 2 | **die** | past | Sam's dog |  |  |  |  |  | vn calibratable\_cos-45.6.1 «NP.attribute V»: agent=Attribute |

## Example 2 {#x2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
We sent Mrs Jones a sympathy card.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:sympathy:x2:1
# text = We sent Mrs Jones a sympathy card.
1	We	we	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=1|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	sent	send	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=1|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	Mrs	Mrs	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	_
4	Jones	Jones	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	3	flat	_	_
5	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
6	sympathy	sympathy	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	compound	_	_
7	card	card	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **send** | past | We | a sympathy card | Mrs |  |  |  | vn send-11.1-1 «NP V NP-Dative NP»: agent=Agent mrs=Destination card=Theme |

## Example 3 {#x3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The children showed sympathy for the new girl who was lonely.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:sympathy:x3:1
# text = The children showed sympathy for the new girl who was lonely.
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	children	child	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	nsubj	_	_
3	showed	show	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	sympathy	sympathy	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obj	_	_
5	for	for	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
6	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
7	new	new	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	8	amod	_	_
8	girl	girl	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obl	_	_
9	who	who	PRON	WP	PronType=Rel	11	nsubj	_	_
10	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	11	cop	_	_
11	lonely	lonely	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	8	acl:relcl	_	SpaceAfter=No
12	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **show** | past | the children | sympathy |  |  |  | for the new girl | vn transfer\_mesg-37.1.1-1-1 «NP V NP.recipient»: agent=Agent sympathy=Recipient |
| 2 | **is** | past | the new girl |  |  |  |  | lonely *property* | tree rules |

## Example 4 {#x4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
He got no sympathy from his sister when he complained.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:sympathy:x4:1
# text = He got no sympathy from his sister when he complained.
1	He	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	got	get	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	no	no	DET	DT	PronType=Neg	4	det	_	_
4	sympathy	sympathy	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	_
5	from	from	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
6	his	his	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	7	nmod:poss	_	_
7	sister	sister	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obl	_	_
8	when	when	ADV	WRB	PronType=Int	10	advmod	_	_
9	he	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	10	nsubj	_	_
10	complained	complain	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	2	parataxis	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **get** | past | He | no sympathy |  |  |  | from his sister | vn get-13.5.1-1 «NP V NP PP.source»: agent=Agent sympathy=Theme from sister=Source |
| 2 | **complain** *speech: other* | past | he |  |  |  |  |  | vn complain-37.8 «NP V»: agent=Agent |

## Example 5 {#x5}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
I have some sympathy with your idea.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:sympathy:x5:1
# text = I have some sympathy with your idea.
1	I	I	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Sing|Person=1|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	have	have	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=1|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	some	some	DET	DT	PronType=Ind	4	det	_	_
4	sympathy	sympathy	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	_
5	with	with	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
6	your	your	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Person=2|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	7	nmod:poss	_	_
7	idea	idea	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **have** | present | I | some sympathy |  |  |  | with your idea | vn birth-28.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent sympathy=Patient |

## Example 6 {#x6}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Please accept our deepest sympathy.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:sympathy:x6:1
# text = Please accept our deepest sympathy.
1	Please	please	INTJ	UH	_	2	discourse	_	_
2	accept	accept	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	our	our	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Number=Plur|Person=1|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	5	nmod:poss	_	_
4	deepest	deep	ADJ	JJS	Degree=Sup	5	amod	_	_
5	sympathy	sympathy	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **accept** | imperative | you *not said here* | our deepest sympathy |  |  |  |  | vn obtain-13.5.2 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent sympathy=Theme |

## Example 7 {#x7}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
But Jupiter had little sympathy for him.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:sympathy:x7:1
# text = But Jupiter had little sympathy for him.
1	But	but	CCONJ	CC	_	3	cc	_	_
2	Jupiter	Jupiter	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	had	have	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	little	little	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	5	amod	_	_
5	sympathy	sympathy	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obj	_	_
6	for	for	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
7	him	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	3	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **have** | past | Jupiter | little sympathy |  |  |  | for him *= he* | vn birth-28.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent sympathy=Patient |

<!-- div src -->

**Text:** the school dictionary of Mova's schools (`world/data/dictionary-schools/`), written for Mova. **Trees:** Mova's own parse — the `en` model on the CPU, when the site is built — not checked by a teacher; they may be wrong. **Frames:** Mova's frames reader (`prag`), each meaning and example read on its own. Elamur Cosmic License.

<!-- /div -->

<!-- pn -->
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