“Empathizes” means to understand and share the feelings of another. Some synonyms for “empathizes” are “sympathizes”, “relates to”, and “connects with”.
“Sympathizes” implies feeling sorry for someone and sharing in their distress. For example, “She sympathizes with her friend who is going through a hard time.” This shows that she has compassion for her friend and understands their situation to some extent, similar to when one empathizes.
“Relates to” suggests being able to see oneself in another’s situation or experience. “He relates to the character in the book because he has had similar experiences.” Here, he is able to connect with the character on an emotional level because of shared experiences, which is akin to empathizing.
“Connects with” can mean establishing an emotional bond or understanding with someone. “The therapist connects with her clients on a deep level.” This indicates that the therapist is able to understand and share the feelings of her clients, much like empathizing.
These synonyms can be used in different contexts to express the idea of understanding and sharing the emotions of others. They add variety to your language and help you describe the act of empathizing in different ways.