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Glite Dictionary
compassion incarnate

compassion incarnate

7.7
A person who shows deep kindness and care for other people
  • noun
  • /kəmˈpæʃən ɪnˈkɑrnət/
  • Literature
translation icon : compasión encarnada
  • The nurse was compassion incarnate, comforting every patient with genuine care and empathy.

Examples

  • She is truly compassion incarnate!

  • For many, Mother Teresa represented compassion incarnate in the modern world.

  • They described their teacher as compassion incarnate, always looking out for those in need.

  • Mother Teresa was a living example of compassion incarnate.

  • The volunteer was compassion incarnate, always going out of her way to help those in need.

  • Many believe that he is compassion incarnate, dedicating his life to serving the underprivileged.

  • To her friends, she is compassion incarnate, offering a listening ear and a warm hug during tough times.

Antonyms

inhumanity
  • NSFW
12 6.6

Very cruel actions that show no care for other people

callousness
6 7.4

A lack of concern for other people's feelings or suffering

Surface Forms

compassion incarnate singular
compassion incarnates plural

Morphology

compassion + incarnate

The phrase 'compassion incarnate' is directly compositional: 'compassion' (deep sympathy) combined with 'incarnate' (embodied/personified) yields the clear meaning 'the embodiment of compassion.' This follows a common English pattern (and similar constructions in other languages) so a B1 learner who knows both words would be able to infer the MWE's meaning.

Etymology

Compassion incarnate comes from older religious language where incarnate meant 'made flesh' or 'in human form', as in 'God incarnate'. It paints the picture of compassion living in a person, so calling someone compassion incarnate means they are the living example or 'embodiment' of kindness.