arouse empathy

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "arouse empathy" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it when discussing the ability to evoke feelings of understanding and compassion in others, often in the context of storytelling or persuasive writing. Example: "The documentary aimed to arouse empathy for the struggles faced by the community."

✓ Grammatically correct

Human-centric Computing and Information Sciences

The New York Times

Encyclopedia Britannica

Independent

The New York Times - Books

Forbes

Huffington Post

The New York Times - Magazine

The New York Times

Evolution: Education and Outreach

The Guardian - Books

The New Yorker

International Journal of Emergency Medicine

Vice

Harvard University

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Harvard Business Review

The Washington Post

WikiHow

The Economist

The Guardian - Opinion

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

Bickart and Schindler [56] proved that product information on VCEs has greater credibility, relevance and more likely to arouse empathy with consumers than information on marketer initiated website content.

Human-centric Computing and Information Sciences

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

59 human-written examples

Maybe it's Maureen's vulnerability that arouses such empathy.

The New York Times

Fortunately, the status of the tiger has aroused widespread empathy, and its cause has received substantial international support.

Encyclopedia Britannica

"By rejecting the term and using 'refugee' instead as a means of arousing the empathy and compassion we should be feeling towards these people, Al Jazeera gives credence to the illiberal voices telling us that migrants are not worthy of our compassion," Vonberg writes.

Independent

The many woes that have racked China and its resilient people over centuries cannot but arouse our empathy for the valiant Huangs, whose ancestral residence became a palimpsest of those wider tribulations.

The New York Times - Books

Do in the end, all these gimmicks help arouse more empathy?

Forbes

When empathy is aroused, you let go of your usual self-interest.

Huffington Post

He writes: "It is time now to bring this question and the empathy it arouses into our political discourse as a new animating force.

Huffington Post

In my opinion, President Obama would sail into the White House for another term if his courage were really aroused by a strong empathy with these Americans still hurting.

Huffington Post

It's relatively easy to program a robot with behaviors that arouse our cognitive empathy, but this can create a dissonance in expectations once people figure out it's not as smart as it appears.

The New York Times - Magazine

"Her empathy was so aroused she was not clear what to do with it," Dr. Aber says.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When writing narratives, use vivid descriptions and relatable characters to "arouse empathy" in your audience, making them feel connected to the story's emotional core.

Common error

Avoid using overly sentimental or manipulative language in an attempt to "arouse empathy". Genuine empathy is best fostered through authentic storytelling and a nuanced portrayal of human experiences, not cheap emotional tactics.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "arouse empathy" functions as a verb phrase, where "arouse" acts as a transitive verb and "empathy" as its direct object. Its primary grammatical role is to describe an action intended to evoke feelings of understanding and compassion. Ludwig AI confirms this usage.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

37%

Science

22%

Wiki

14%

Less common in

Formal & Business

8%

Encyclopedias

5%

Academia

5%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "arouse empathy" is a grammatically correct and functional expression used to describe the act of evoking feelings of understanding and compassion. While not very frequent, as pointed out by Ludwig, it appears in various contexts, including news, science, and general writing. Alternative phrases like "evoke empathy" or "stir empathy" can be used for variety. When using this phrase, it's crucial to focus on authentic storytelling rather than manipulative emotional tactics, as stated in the writing guidance. Ludwig AI confirms that the phrase is a proper and valid expression.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

evoke empathy

Replaces "arouse" with "evoke", maintaining a similar meaning of bringing forth feelings.

stir empathy

Uses "stir" instead of "arouse", suggesting a more active and emotional response.

ignite empathy

Employs "ignite" to convey a sense of sparking or initiating empathetic feelings.

foster empathy

Replaces "arouse" with "foster", indicating a nurturing or developing of empathy.

generate empathy

Uses "generate" to suggest the creation or production of empathetic feelings.

instill empathy

Employs "instill" to indicate a gradual and deep implantation of empathy.

encourage empathy

Replaces "arouse" with "encourage", suggesting a promotion or support of empathy.

draw out empathy

Uses "draw out" to convey the idea of extracting or eliciting empathy from someone.

awaken empathy

Replaces "arouse" with "awaken", suggesting a stirring of already existing feelings of empathy.

cultivate empathy

Employs "cultivate" to indicate a careful and sustained effort to develop empathy.

FAQs

How can I effectively use "arouse empathy" in a sentence?

Use "arouse empathy" when describing the act of evoking feelings of understanding and compassion in others. For example, "The film's depiction of poverty aimed to "arouse empathy" in viewers".

What are some alternatives to "arouse empathy"?

You can use alternatives such as "evoke empathy", "stir empathy", or "foster empathy" depending on the specific context.

Is it better to use "arouse empathy" or "create empathy"?

While both phrases are valid, "arouse empathy" suggests that the potential for empathy already exists and is being awakened, whereas "create empathy" implies building it from scratch. The best choice depends on whether you are highlighting existing feelings or the formation of new ones.

What's the difference between "arouse empathy" and "elicit sympathy"?

"Arouse empathy" focuses on creating an understanding and sharing of feelings, while "elicit sympathy" aims to evoke feelings of pity or sorrow for someone's misfortune. Empathy involves understanding the other person's perspective, whereas sympathy is more about feeling sorry for them.