Question

The words apathetic, sympathy, and empathy share a common root word. Based on that root word, what do all three words have in common?

Answer 1

The root word "pathy" is from the Greek for "pathos." It was interpreted as "suffering" or "feeling." All of those words share the common relationship to feelings. Apathetic means lacking feeling, sympathy means feeling someone else's suffering, and empathy means to understand another's feelings. So basically, they all have to do with how someone feels and relates to others' feelings.

Answer 2

And that reply is not at all pathetic!