compassionate
kuhm-PASH-uh-nit
/kəmˈpæʃ.ən.ət/
Feeling or showing deep sympathy and concern for others who are suffering.
Requires shared emotional resonance; it is not just feeling pity, but feeling moved to relieve another's distress.
The story behind the word. Literally translating to 'suffering together', compassionate comes from Late Latin 'compassio'. It entered Late Middle English via Old French. The root 'pati' also gave us 'patient' (one who suffers) and 'passive'. To be compassionate is to sit beside someone in their suffering rather than watching from afar.
Word relationships
- empathetic: Empathetic means experiencing another's feelings; compassionate adds the active desire to help.
- sympathetic: Sympathetic can be passive sorrow; compassionate involves active emotional closeness.
- callous: Callous means emotionally hardened and completely unfeeling toward suffering.
- indifferent: Indifferent means lacking interest, care, or emotional investment.
Commonly confused with
- passionate: Passionate means having intense enthusiasm; compassionate means sharing suffering with love.
Word family
- compassion (noun): Sympathetic pity and concern for the sufferings or misfortunes of others.
- compassionately (adverb): In a way that shows sympathy and concern.
Collocations
- compassionate care
- compassionate heart
- compassionate leave
- compassionate listener
Example sentences
- "The compassionate nurse held the frightened patient's hand throughout the procedure." Healthcare profession
- "Her compassionate response to the flood victims brought comfort to the entire displaced community." Public leadership
Memory hook
COM (together) + PASSION (feeling) = feeling together with someone in distress. SUFFERING TOGETHER.
When not to use
Avoid using it for objective financial transactions; it must involve emotional feeling and empathy.
Fun facts
- In modern labor law, 'compassionate leave' is paid time off granted to employees during family bereavements.
Related words
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