compassion

[kuhm-pash-uhn]

noun

1. a feeling of deep sympathy and sorrow for another who is stricken by misfortune, accompanied by a strong desire to alleviate the suffering.

   Synonyms: clemency, heart, tenderness, mercy, commiseration
   Antonyms: indifference, mercilessness

verb (used with object)

1. Archaic.,  to have compassion for; compassionate.

compassion

/ kəmˈpæʃən /

noun

1. a feeling of distress and pity for the suffering or misfortune of another, often including the desire to alleviate it

Other Word Forms

• compassionless adjective
• uncompassion noun
• uncompassioned adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of compassion¹

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English (from Anglo-French ), from Late Latin compassiōn- (stem of compassiō ). See com-, passion

Word History and Origins

Origin of compassion¹

C14: from Old French, from Late Latin compassiō fellow feeling, from compatī to suffer with, from Latin com- with + patī to bear, suffer

Synonym Study

See sympathy.

Example Sentences

She will be remembered for that hug with Novotná, her dignity and quiet compassion, and as a reluctant royal, who eventually decided that her true path lay in teaching children to love music.

From BBC

“We expect all team members to live our patients-first mission and uphold the highest standards of compassion, professionalism and respect,” he said.

From Los Angeles Times

"Their stories remind us of the power of compassion, connection and community."

From BBC

Fliers in the plus-size community knew that, on top of the guaranteed refund, customers could easily reserve an empty seat and were met with compassion from customer service agents.

From Los Angeles Times

“Children are NOT Trans, and grooming them to embrace a dangerous mental illness is fake compassion and child abuse,” Greene wrote.

From Salon

Related Words

• benevolence 
• empathy 
• grace 
• humanity 
• kindness 
• mercy 
• sorrow 
• sympathy 
• tenderness www.thesaurus.com

When To Use

What does compassion mean?

Compassion is a feeling of sympathy or pity for others, especially one that makes you want to help them.Compassion is sometimes used interchangeably with sympathy, which most most commonly means the sharing of emotions with someone else, especially sadness. Both words are used in the context of feeling sorry for people who are in negative situations. But compassion is often understood as a feeling that motivates you to help them.The opposite of compassion is often thought to be indifference or cold-heartedness.Someone who has compassion for others can be described as compassionate. Being compassionate typically means you care and you want to help.Example: We should treat people with compassion because that’s how we want to be treated.