feel as if one personally benefits; feel as if one personally experienced
Meanings
2 senses · 5 examplesidiom
to feel as grateful as if one had personally received the kindness (often used to express thanks on behalf of another)
formalTraditional, somewhat formal usage, often in written contexts when conveying gratitude for someone else.
On behalf of the children, I express our heartfelt gratitude as if we had personally received your generous donation.
We feel deeply grateful for your care towards his family, as if we had personally experienced it.
idiom
to feel as if one has personally experienced it (despite not having gone through it oneself)
neutralModern, more common usage, expressing deep empathy and understanding for someone else's situation.
Hearing her story of hardship, I felt as if I had personally experienced it and couldn't help but shed tears.
Reading about the plight of the people in the disaster area, all of us felt as if we had personally gone through it.
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As parents, seeing our child in pain when sick, we can all empathize deeply as if it were happening to us.