compassion
Americannoun
verb (used with object)
noun
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012Usage
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.
Related Words
See sympathy.
Other Word Forms
- compassionless adjective
- uncompassion noun
- uncompassioned adjective
Etymology
Origin of compassion
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English (from Anglo-French ), from Late Latin compassiōn- (stem of compassiō ). See com-, passion
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Only having given up ego and all attachments has he obtained the heart of compassion.
From Los Angeles Times
"Look at me with compassion and mercy and understand me as a Palestinian mother," she said, her voice straining with emotion.
From Barron's
"They need sensitive communication, compassion that somebody understands what they're going through is a significant loss for them, even if there isn't a visible baby."
From BBC
The BBC has also heard allegations from breast cancer patients about a lack of compassion and care at the trust, in both its clinics and its hospitals.
From BBC
Community leaders say tackling knife crime requires more than policing — it demands investment, compassion, and prevention.
From BBC
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
