compassionate

English

Etymology

A pseudo-Latin form of French compassionné, past participle of compassionner (“feel sorry for”).

Pronunciation

• (UK, adjective) IPA^(key): /kəmˈpæʃənət/

• Audio (Southern England)

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• Audio (US)

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• (UK, verb) IPA^(key): /kəmˈpæʃəneɪt/

• Audio (Southern England)

  (file)

Adjective

compassionate (comparative more compassionate, superlative most compassionate)

1. Having, feeling or showing compassion (to or toward someone).

   Synonyms: empathetic, sympathetic, ruthful

   The Compassionate, the All-Compassionate

   (names given to God in Islam)

   • 1611, John Donne, An Anatomy of the World, London: Samuel Macham,^[1]

     As a compassionate Turcoyse which doth tell

     By looking pale, the wearer is not well,

   • 1675, Robert South, A Sermon preached at Christ-Church, in Twelve Sermons Preached upon Several Occasions, London: Thomas Bennett, 1692, p. 574,^[2]

     […] there never was any heart truly great and generous, that was not also tender, and compassionate.

   • 1849 May – 1850 November, Charles Dickens, chapter 49, in The Personal History of David Copperfield, London: Bradbury & Evans, […], published 1850, OCLC 558196156, page 502:

     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.

   • 2007, Mohsin Hamid, The Reluctant Fundamentalist, Orlando: Harcourt, Chapter 7, p. 99,^[3]

     […] 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.

2. Given to someone as an exception because of a family emergency or a death in their family.

   compassionate leave; a compassionate visa

3. (obsolete) Inviting or asking for pity.

   Synonym: pitiable

   • 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 606515358, [Act I, scene 3]:

     It boots thee not to be compassionate:

     After our sentence plaining comes too late.

Derived terms

• compassionate conservatism
• compassionate conservativism
• compassionate leave
• compassionately
• compassionateness
• compassionate use
• uncompassionate

 

Translations

having, feeling or showing compassion

• Armenian: գթասիրտ (hy) (gtʿasirt)
• Bulgarian: състрадателен (bg) (sǎstradatelen), милостив (bg) (milostiv)
• Catalan: compassiu
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 有爱心 (yǒuàixīn)

• Czech: soucitný
• Esperanto: kompata, kompatema
• Finnish: osaaottava
• French: compatissant (fr)
• Galician: compasivo m
• Gothic: 𐌰𐍂𐌼𐌰𐌷𐌰𐌹𐍂𐍄𐍃 (armahairts)
• Greek:

  Ancient: οἰκτίρμων (oiktírmōn), συμπαθής (sumpathḗs)

• Hebrew: רַחֲמָן‎ (rakhamán), רַחוּם‎ (rakhúm)
• Indonesian: berbelas kasih
• Italian: compassionevole (it)
• Latin: misericors (la)
• Manx: erreeishagh
• Maori: ngākau mākoha, ngākau aroha
• Polish: litościwy (pl)
• Russian: сострада́ющий (ru) (sostradájuščij), сочу́вствующий (ru) (sočúvstvujuščij)
• Scottish Gaelic: tròcaireach, truacanta, ath-thruasach
• Spanish: compasivo (es)
• Tocharian B: aräñcatste
• Tok Pisin: marimari

given to someone because of a family emergency

• Finnish: henkilökohtainen (fi)

inviting pity; pitiable

• Finnish: säälittävä (fi)
• Manx: treih

• Maori: whakaaroha

Verb

compassionate (third-person singular simple present compassionates, present participle compassionating, simple past and past participle compassionated)

1. (transitive, archaic) To feel compassion (for someone or with regard to something); to regard (someone or something) with compassion.

   Synonyms: pity, feel sorry for

   • 1602, Thomas Lodge (translator), The Famous and Memorable Workes of Josephus, London: G. Bishop et al., Chapter 6, p. 733,^[4]

     […] seeing them die so wofully in the flames, he compassionated them.

   • 1749, Henry Fielding, chapter 6, in The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling, volume (please specify |volume=I to VI), London: A[ndrew] Millar, […], OCLC 928184292, book 2, page 83:

     The Justice which Mr. Allworthy had executed on Partridge, at first met with universal Approbation; but no sooner had he felt its Consequences, than his Neighbours began to relent, and to compassionate his Case;

   • 1794, William Godwin, Things as They Are; or, The Adventures of Caleb Williams, London: B. Crosby, Volume 2, Chapter 1, p. 4,^[5]

     And yet I could not help bitterly compassionating the honest fellow, brought to the gallows, as he was, strictly speaking, by the machinations of that devil incarnate, Mr. Tyrrel.

   • 1847 October 16, Currer Bell [pseudonym; Charlotte Brontë], chapter III, in Jane Eyre. An Autobiography. […], volume I, London: Smith, Elder, and Co., […], OCLC 3163777, page 38:

     “ […] if she were a nice, pretty child, one might compassionate her forlornness; but one really cannot care for such a little toad as that.”

   • 1848 November – 1850 December, William Makepeace Thackeray, chapter 16, in The History of Pendennis. […], volume (please specify |volume=I or II), London: Bradbury and Evans, […], published 1849–1850, OCLC 2057953:

     Helen laughed at these sentimental remarks, and wondered that Madame herself did not compassionate her lodger, and console him

   • 1855, Frederick Douglass, chapter 17, in My Bondage and My Freedom, New York: Miller, Orton and Mulligan, page 236:

     I explained the circumstances of the past two days, which had driven me to the woods, and he deeply compassionated my distress.

Translations

to feel compassion for

• Bulgarian: съжалявам (bg) (sǎžaljavam), съчувствувам на (sǎčuvstvuvam na)

• Russian: сострада́ть (ru) (sostradátʹ), сочу́вствовать (ru) (sočúvstvovatʹ)

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Italian

Etymology 1

Verb

compassionate

1. inflection of compassionare:
   1. second-person plural present indicative
   2. second-person plural imperative

Etymology 2

Participle

compassionate f pl

1. feminine plural of compassionato