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compassion

compassion

344 2.7
A strong feeling of care for someone who is suffering and a wish to help them
  • noun
  • /kəmˈpæʃən/
: compasión
  • She showed great compassion by helping the homeless man find shelter.
  • feel compassion
  • show compassion
  • compassion and empathy

She fails to expand that same compassion to men.

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Examples

  • So even meeting gross behavior with compassion can be helpful.

  • One participant reflected on compassion from others, particularly medical staff, as meaningful and helpful.

    Academic text (2011)
  • I want people to show compassion every day.

  • What is it that makes a person who feels compassion actually act?

  • Does it just allow you to have a lot more compassion for that kid?

  • And that is why, out of compassion, I gave it to this son.

  • The world showed no compassion to me.

  • Where is your compassion, gentlemen?

  • There is not a trace of compassion to be found in modern war.

  • His heart had filled with a sudden, amazing compassion, and he had known what he must do.

    Fiction book (1990)

Synonyms

mercy
vscompassion
473 1.3

Kindness shown to someone who is suffering or could be punished

focuses on helping because of sympathy not mainly about leniency
sympathy
vscompassion
300 1.8

Feeling of understanding and sharing another person's sadness

adds a stronger desire to help those who suffer beyond shared feeling
pity
vscompassion
228 1.1

A feeling of sadness and care for someone who is suffering

involves a stronger wish to help rather than only feeling sorrow or concern
charity
vscompassion
66 1.4

Being kind and forgiving toward other people

is focused on active sympathy for suffering not just general generosity
tenderness
vscompassion
41 3.4

A gentle caring feeling of love and concern for someone

is more about strong sympathy and wanting to help people who suffer
loving-kindness
vscompassion
4 5.2

A warm, gentle feeling of care and concern for other people

is focused on helping people who suffer not only affectionate goodwill
karuna
vscompassion
  • Specialized
1 9.9

A feeling of deep kindness that makes you want to help people who suffer, especially in Buddhism

is same caring feeling but not tied to a religious tradition
compassionateness
vscompassion
1 7.6

A deep care for people who suffer that makes you want to help them

is a stronger feeling that also includes wanting to help others
misericordia
vscompassion
  • Archaic
1 9.9

Kindness shown to people who are suffering

is the general strong sympathy that also involves wanting to help
warmheartedness
vscompassion
1 4.4

A kind and friendly feeling toward other people

is focused on helping those who suffer rather than general friendliness
tenderheartedness
vscompassion
1 5.8

A kind, gentle feeling that makes you feel sorry for others and want to help them

is a strong sympathy that also leads to wanting to help others
softheartedness
vscompassion
1 6.1

A kind feeling that makes you easily feel sorry for people in need

is stronger adding a clear desire to help those who suffer
mercifulness
vscompassion
1 5.6

Kindness and forgiveness shown to people you could punish

is a strong feeling to help sufferers rather than only forgiving them
rahma
vscompassion
9.9

A feeling of kindness and care for other people

is the personal feeling of strong sympathy plus wanting to help

Antonyms

cruelty
  • NSFW
128 3.2

Actions that hurt people or animals on purpose

66 4.6

Lack of interest or concern about something

43 6.2

A lack of interest or care about things

Compounds

1 7.7

A person who shows deep kindness and care for other people

How Compassionate

mercy
473 1.3
benevolence
16 6.1
compassion
344 2.7
sympathy
300 1.8
concern
∞ 1.5
indifference
66 4.6

Surface Forms

compassion singular
compassions plural

Morphology

compassion = passion (semi-transparent) = com + passion

Formally com- + passion underlies the word, but modern 'passion' meaning 'strong emotion' does not directly yield 'sympathy', so the relation is not fully transparent to learners.

Etymology

Compassion comes from Latin parts com- 'with' and passio 'suffering', the same root as passion and related to patient. So to feel compassion is to 'suffer with' someone, to feel their pain and want to help.