sympathy

One's most heartfelt, sincere condolences. Sometimes said as a set response to someone sharing their misfortunes. A: "I'm not going to be able to come in to work today. I just found out that my father passed away." B: "My deepest sympathies—please, take all the time that you need." We were so saddened to hear about the passing of your sweet brother. Please send our deepest sympathies to the rest of your family.

To share one's condolences. I'm so sorry to hear about your sister's passing. Please extend my sympathy to your mother as well. Don't worry, I extended your sympathy in my card too.

To share one's condolences with someone. I'm so sorry to hear about your sister's passing. Please extend my sympathy to your mother as well.

In tandem with something; at the same time as and because of something. The data clearly shows that rates of depression rise in sympathy with rates of unemployment. The European stock market suffered another day of large losses in sympathy with concerns of rising interest rates in the US.

A supportive display of sympathy for one who is upset. The image is that of one providing a cup of tea to someone to soothe them while listening to their troubles. I know you have a lot going on, but the least you can do is offer Hannah a little tea and sympathy during her time of grief.

to express sympathy to someone. (A very polite and formal way to tell someone that you are sorry about a misfortune.) Please permit me to extend my sympathy to you and your children. I'm very sorry to hear of the death of your husband. Let's extend our sympathy to Bill Jones, who is in the hospital with a broken leg. We should send him some flowers.

one's very sincere sympathy. I am so sorry about the death of your father. You have my deepest sympathy. She sent her deepest sympathy to the family.

Acronym for tender loving care. In modern times this phrase is believed to have originated in a hospital or other sick-care setting, where it alludes to kind and solicitous treatment by nurses. From the mid-1900s on it caught on in a more general way, particularly among songwriters, according to wordsmith Nigel Rees, who found nearly a dozen songs with this title written between 1960 and 1983. Today the term, both spelled out and abbreviated, is applied to kind or gentle treatment for almost anything—a pet, person, plant, automobile, and so on. It has just about replaced the almost synonymous tea and sympathy, meaning special kindness shown to someone who is upset. This term was always most common in Britain, where a cup of tea is standard treatment in such situations. It gained currency as the title of a play by Robert Anderson and a motion picture based on it (1956) about a prep school boy’s affair with a teacher’s wife, but it has largely died out, at least in America.