1. a person who agrees with or supports a particular cause, group, or set of beliefs
2. a person who feels or expresses compassion or understanding for someone else’s situation

Examples

• She was known as a sympathizer of the environmental movement.
• The government arrested several suspected sympathizers of the rebel group.
• He found a sympathizer in his colleague who had gone through a similar divorce.
• Many sympathizers gathered to show support for the striking workers.
• The teacher was a sympathizer who always listened to her students’ problems.
• Communist sympathizers were investigated during the Cold War era.