Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English - sympathetic

~ adj 1 willing to try to understand someone else's problems and give them any help they need  (You're not being very sympathetic, Joan. | a sympathetic ear (=willingness to listen to someone else's problems))  (Paul's great if you need a sympathetic ear or advice.) 2 willing to give approval and support to an aim or plan + to/towards  (There is a group in the party sympathetic towards our aims.) 3 providing the right conditions to make the results you want to happen  (a sympathetic environment) 4 sympathetic figure/character literary someone in a book, play etc who the author intends you to like - sympathetically adv