compassion fatigue

American

fatigue, emotional distress, or apathy resulting from the constant demands of caring for others or from constant appeals from charities.

compassion fatigue experienced by doctors and nurses.

compassion fatigue British

noun

the inability to react sympathetically to a crisis, disaster, etc, because of overexposure to previous crises, disasters, etc

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of compassion fatigue

1980–85,

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.

She said staff were "well intended" and did "compassionate work", but there was also "compassion fatigue" and there were "staffing issues".

From BBC • Jun. 23, 2026

“I’m in the situation,” he said, “where I’ve come to realize I’ve experienced vicarious trauma, compassion fatigue and burnout.”

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 17, 2023

Today, such celebrities and the media seem to be gripped by a kind of compassion fatigue.

From Salon • Jul. 30, 2023

Judging from many reader responses, it seems compassion fatigue has set in, just when we need compassion the most.

From Seattle Times • Jun. 12, 2023

Keizer spoke of her own experiences with compassion fatigue.

From Science Magazine • Mar. 9, 2023

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023