Pathics

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Individuals exhibiting feelings of strong compassion and empathy towards others ; those who respond emotionally to suffering or misfortune ; persons displaying sensitivity and concern for the welfare of others
2. People characterized by a deep sense of pity and kindness ; those who are moved by others' pain and offer sympathy or support ; individuals who demonstrate emotional responsiveness and care towards others' distress
3. Those who experience and show heartfelt sorrow or tenderness for others' hardships ; persons marked by their perceptive emotional reactions to suffering ; individuals who embody a compassionate and understanding nature towards human vulnerability

Etymology: "Pathics" is the plural of "pathic," so the origin lies in the single form. The word traces back to Ancient Greek "páthos," meaning "suffering" or "feeling," itself from the verb "páskhō," "to feel" or "to suffer." Greek writers used these roots for both physical hurt and emotional experience, and that double range is what makes the English word work: someone who responds to another's suffering is one who feels it. The route into English ran through Latin. Greek "pathikós" was taken into Late Latin as "pathicus," which carried the sense of being able to feel or undergo something, and from there the adjective reached English. The plural form, "pathics," is a plain English inflection of that noun.

Synonyms: invalids, patients, sufferers, afflicted, ailing

Antonyms: healthy, strong, robust, well, fit