Interactions - Sympathy

Discover how English idioms like "strike a chord with" and "in cold blood" relate to sympathy in English.

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milk of human kindness [phrase]

the compassion and sympathy that is shown to others

Ex: The teacher 's patience and understanding toward her students reveal the depths of her milk of human kindness .

flesh and blood [phrase]

used to emphasize that a person is just a normal human being with similar feelings or weaknesses as others

Ex: The superhero had extraordinary powers , but deep down , he was still flesh and blood with his own fears and insecurities .

to [tug|pull] at {one's} heartstrings [phrase]

to make a strong impression on someone, in a way that they feel a strong sense of love or sympathy for a person

Ex:

to [harden] {one's} [heart] [phrase]

to no longer have kind feelings for a person

Ex: Despite the heartbreaking stories he encountered as a counselor , he never hardened his heart and continued to offer compassion and support to his clients .

cold comfort [noun]

sympathy, help, or encouragement that is barely enough to improve a person's situation or make them feel any better

Ex: Hearing that the stolen items had been recovered by the police was cold comfort to the burglary victims , who had already lost their sense of security .

in cold blood [phrase]

in a way that is absolutely cruel and shows no sympathy or mercy of any kind

Ex: She broke up with him in cold blood , leaving him stunned and heartbroken .

to [kiss] it better [phrase]

to soothe someone who is injured, usually a child, by kissing the injured spot

Ex: After her little brother stubbed his toe , the older sister offered to kiss it better to make him smile .

{one's} heart [bleed] [sentence]

used to convey intense sadness or empathy one feels for someone or something in a tragic or distressing situation

Ex: As she read the heartbreaking news about the refugee crisis , her heart bled for the families fleeing their war-torn homeland .

to [get] {sth} off {one's} chest [phrase]

to finally talk about what has long been bothering or concerning one

Ex:

have (a|some) heart [sentence]

used to ask a person to stop their unkind or indifferent behavior and offer some help or show some sympathy instead

Ex: The employee asked his supervisor to have a heart and grant him a few days off to attend his sister 's wedding .

in {one's} shoes [phrase]

in a similar or identical situation to someone else, particularly a difficult or unpleasant one

Ex: Having been in his shoes during a similar crisis , she offered valuable advice on how to cope with the situation .

{one's} [heart] [go] out to {sb} [sentence]

used to show one sympathizes with and feels sorry for someone else's suffering

Ex:

to [strike|touch] a chord with {sb} [phrase]

to make someone feel strong emotions such as enthusiasm or sympathy

Ex: Her poignant poem about resilience and hope struck a chord with readers around the world .

heart of stone [phrase]

a personality marked by emotional coldness and lack of sympathy

Ex: Even in the face of the most touching stories , the manager maintained his reputation for having a heart of stone .

woe [is] {sb} [sentence]

said to show sympathy for a person's difficult or unlucky situation

Ex:

to [touch] {one's} heart [phrase]

to make a person emotional, particularly by causing them to feel sympathy for someone

Ex: The beautiful melody of the song always manages to touch my heart and make me feel nostalgic .

Interactions
Help & Support	Aid & Assistance	Praise & Good Treatment	Mistreatment & Misconduct
Gratitude & Ingratitude	Sympathy	Enmity	Retaliation
Taking Advantage	Betrayal	Abuse & Manipulation	Jokes & Pranks
Mockery & Ridicule