compassionate en · ADJ
Pronunciation
Etymology
Pseudo-Latinism, derived from a pseudo-Latin form of French compassionné, past participle of compassionner (“to feel sorry for”). By surface analysis, compassion + -ate.
Meanings
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Having, feeling or showing compassion (to or toward someone).
The Compassionate, the All-Compassionate
As a compassionate Turcoyse which doth tell By looking pale, the wearer is not well,
1611, John Donne, An Anatomy of the World, London: Samuel Macham:[Hakeem] Jeffries hailed the Obamas as “brilliant, compassionate and patriotic Americans” and denounced Trump as “a vile, unhinged and malignant bottom feeder”.
2026 February 7, Richard Luscombe, Shrai Popat, Robert Mackey, “Trump refuses to apologize for video with racist imagery of Obamas posted on his social media”, in The Guardian, →ISSN, archived from the original on 07 Feb 2026:He was by nature so exceedingly compassionate of anyone who seemed to be ill at ease […] that he shook hands with Mr. Micawber, at least half-a-dozen times in five minutes.
1849 May – 1850 November, Charles Dickens, chapter 49, in The Personal History of David Copperfield, London: Bradbury & Evans, […], published 1850, →OCLC, page 502:1675, Robert South, A Sermon preached at Christ-Church, in Twelve Sermons Preached upon Several Occasions, London: Thomas Bennett, 1692, p. 574, […] there never was any heart truly great and generous, that was not also tender, and compassionate.
[…] the compassionate pangs I felt for soon-to-be redundant workers were not overwhelming in their frequency; our job required a degree of commitment that left one with rather limited time for such distractions.
2007, Mohsin Hamid, chapter 7, in The Reluctant Fundamentalist, Orlando: Harcourt, page 99:
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Given to someone as an exception because of a family emergency or a death in their family.
compassionate leave; a compassionate visa
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(obsolete) Inviting or asking for pity.
It boots thee not to be compassionate: After our sentence plaining comes too late.
1595 December 9 (first known performance), William Shakespeare, “The Life and Death of King Richard the Second”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene 3]:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| more compassionate | Degree=Cmp | lexicographic | |
| most compassionate | Degree=Sup | lexicographic |
Deriveds
compassionate conservativism · uncompassionate · incompassionate · compassionate use · compassionate leave · discompassionate · compassionate conservatism · compassionateness · noncompassionate · compassionately · overcompassionate
Synonyms
snivelly · rueful · piteous · ruthful · ruthful · pathetic · sad · pitiable · pathetisad · poor · sorry-ass · pitisome · compassionate · sympathetic · pitiable · piteous · pitiful · empathetic · ruthful
Translations (52)
la misericors (having, feeling or showing compassion) · fi henkilökohtainen (given to someone because of a family emergency) · de mitleidvoll (having, feeling or showing compassion) · de teilnahmsvoll (having, feeling or showing compassion) · it compassionevole (having, feeling or showing compassion) · he רַחֲמָן (having, feeling or showing compassion) · de Mitleid erregend (inviting pity; pitiable) · got 𐌰𐍂𐌼𐌰𐌷𐌰𐌹𐍂𐍄𐍃 (having, feeling or showing compassion) · gd truacanta (having, feeling or showing compassion) · pl litościwy (having, feeling or showing compassion) · mi ngākau aroha (having, feeling or showing compassion) · eo kompata (having, feeling or showing compassion) · tpi marimari (having, feeling or showing compassion) · de mitleidig (having, feeling or showing compassion) · de barmherzig (having, feeling or showing compassion) · fr compatissant (having, feeling or showing compassion) · de bedauernswert (inviting pity; pitiable) · he רַחוּם (having, feeling or showing compassion) · de mitleidend (having, feeling or showing compassion) · de barmherzig (given to someone because of a family emergency) · ru сострада́ющий (having, feeling or showing compassion) · eo kompatema (having, feeling or showing compassion) · de anteilnehmend (having, feeling or showing compassion) · mi whakaaroha (inviting pity; pitiable) · gv treih (inviting pity; pitiable) · ca compassiu (having, feeling or showing compassion) · el συμπονετικός (having, feeling or showing compassion) · mi ngākau mākoha (having, feeling or showing compassion) · grc συμπαθής (having, feeling or showing compassion) · gd ath-thruasach (having, feeling or showing compassion) · cs soucitný (having, feeling or showing compassion) · gd tròcaireach (having, feeling or showing compassion) · de mitfühlend (having, feeling or showing compassion) · es compasivo (having, feeling or showing compassion) · gl compasivo (having, feeling or showing compassion) · gv erreeishagh (having, feeling or showing compassion) · de erbarmenswert (inviting pity; pitiable) · fi säälittävä (inviting pity; pitiable) · hy գթասիրտ (having, feeling or showing compassion) · cmn 有爱心 (having, feeling or showing compassion) · de aus familiären Gründen (given to someone because of a family emergency) · bg състрадателен (having, feeling or showing compassion) · txb aräñcatste (having, feeling or showing compassion) · grc οἰκτίρμων (having, feeling or showing compassion) · de erbarmungswürdig (inviting pity; pitiable) · el σπλαχνικός (having, feeling or showing compassion) · fi osaaottava (having, feeling or showing compassion) · de mitleidsvoll (having, feeling or showing compassion) · bg милостив (having, feeling or showing compassion) · ar شَفَقَة (having, feeling or showing compassion) · ru сочу́вствующий (having, feeling or showing compassion) · id berbelas kasih (having, feeling or showing compassion)