compassion
Americannoun
verb (used with object)
noun
Usage
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.
Synonym Usage
See sympathy.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of compassion
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English (from Anglo-French ), from Late Latin compassiōn- (stem of compassiō ). See com-, passion
Explanation
If someone shows kindness, caring, and a willingness to help others, they're showing compassion. This is a word for a very positive emotion that has to do with being thoughtful and decent. Giving to a charity takes compassion. Volunteering to work with sick people or animals takes compassion. When you have compassion, you're putting yourself in someone else's shoes and really feeling for them. Anytime a disaster like a hurricane or earthquake hits, others will feel compassion for the victims. When you feel compassion for someone, you really want to help out.
Vocabulary lists containing compassion
100 Top "SAT" Words
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Giving Words
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ACT Vocabulary List
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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.
That attraction to compassion tracks with poet Megan Falley’s description of Bareilles as “unabashedly heartfelt.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 6, 2026
Releasing Mr. Lai would demonstrate that China’s leadership is confident enough to show compassion and that even amid serious disagreements, the two countries can still find room for an act of humanity.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 22, 2026
Several of Pakistan's former envoys to Afghanistan also urged the council to reconsider; one called it "shocking" and "a question of humanity, compassion and Pakistan's own moral responsibility".
From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2026
Lansing fire chief Carrie Edwards-Clemons recalled Americans treating one another with “respect, compassion, and love that carried us through the days after 9/11.”
From Slate ● Sep. 17, 2026
Asking no questions they watched him, their master now, with compassion.
From "Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes" by Edith Hamilton
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.
