compassionate

American  

[kuhm-pash-uh-nit, kuhm-pash-uh-neyt] / kəmˈpæʃ ə nɪt, kəmˈpæʃ əˌneɪt /

adjective

1. having or showing compassion.

   a compassionate person; a compassionate letter.

   Synonyms:

   tender, sympathetic, pitying

2. granted in an emergency.

   compassionate military leave granted to attend a funeral.

3. Obsolete. pitiable.

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verb (used with object)

compassionated, compassionating

1. Archaic. to pity or have compassion for.

compassionate British  

/ kəmˈpæʃənət /

adjective

1. showing or having compassion

2. leave granted, esp to a serviceman, on the grounds of bereavement, family illness, etc

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Usage

What does compassionate mean? Compassionate means having compassion—a feeling of sympathy or pity for others, especially one that makes you want to help them. Being compassionate typically means you care and you want to help. The word can describe a person, their actions, or a situation that involves or is based on compassion. The word compassion is sometimes used interchangeably with sympathy, and compassionate is sometimes used to mean sympathetic, which most most commonly means sharing emotions with someone else, especially sadness. These words are all used in the context of feeling sorry for people who are in negative situations. But being compassionate is often understood as having a feeling that motivates you to help them. The opposite of being compassionate is being uncompassionate—indifferent or cold-hearted. The word compassionate can also be used in a more specific way to mean granted in circumstances that call for compassion. The word is used this way in the phrase compassionate leave, which refers to permission to be absent, such as from military duty, due to a death or illness in the family or other personal reasons. Example: We should be compassionate toward others because that’s how we want to be treated.

Other Word Forms

• compassionately adverb
• compassionateness noun
• uncompassionate adjective
• uncompassionately adverb
• uncompassionateness noun

Etymology

Origin of compassionate

First recorded in 1580–90; compassion + -ate ¹

Explanation

If you are compassionate, you feel other people's pain and struggles as though they were your own. Compassionate people are often moved to work to end the suffering of others, perhaps by feeding the hungry or educating the poor. Compassionate comes from the Old French noun compassion, which means "sympathy, pity." The adjective, pronounced "cuhm-PASH-uh-nuht," means "sympathetic," like a compassionate friend who shares in your joys and sadnesses, wanting the best for you. As a verb, compassionate, here pronounced "cuhm-PASH-uh-nate," means "pity," as in your ability to compassionate with stray dogs and cats.

Example Sentences

It takes an exceptional piece of art to inspire audiences to think twice about what comes as second nature, to choose compassionate contemplation over ardent debate.

From Salon • Apr. 9, 2026

Farahani is nobly resilient as the endlessly compassionate doctor, mother and sister.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 26, 2026

The famous names on the marquee of a Broadway theater meant nothing to Frank Rich if he could not hear a compassionate human heart beating somewhere inside.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 24, 2026

A Scottish government spokesperson said it "remains committed" to ensuring that everyone who needed it could "access well co-ordinated, compassionate and high-quality palliative and end-of-life care."

From BBC • Mar. 17, 2026

States would likely gravitate back to their old ways if a new, more compassionate public consensus about race had not been forged.

From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander

Related Words

• benevolent
• charitable
• humane
• merciful
• sympathetic
• warm
• warmhearted