Other forms: empathised, empathising, empathises
To empathise is to feel what somebody else is feeling. Not pitying them — being alongside them.
It takes with. The distinction from sympathise is worth having, since sympathy is feeling for somebody and empathy is feeling with them, and the second is far harder and far more use. Counselling and design both treat it as a skill that can be developed. British English spells it with an s and American with a z. The noun is empathy and the adjective empathetic.
1verbempathiseTo understand and share another person's feelings.
“He found it easy to empathise with the family.”
Also accepted in games: empathize