compassion
C1Formal, neutral, literary, spiritual/religious.
Definition
Meaning
A deep awareness of and sympathy for another's suffering, coupled with a strong desire to alleviate that suffering.
The humane quality of understanding the suffering of others and wanting to do something about it; sometimes used in a religious or spiritual context to denote a fundamental virtue.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Implies not just feeling sympathy but an active, empathetic concern that motivates a helpful response. Stronger than 'pity', which can imply condescension.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in meaning or usage. The word is equally common and carries the same semantic weight in both varieties.
Connotations
Universally positive, associated with empathy, kindness, and moral virtue. In both cultures, it is a high-value term.
Frequency
Slightly more frequent in UK English in certain religious or formal contexts, but the difference is negligible in general usage.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
compassion for [someone/something]compassion towards [someone]act with compassionshow compassion to [someone]Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “to have/take compassion on someone (archaic/literary)”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Used in corporate social responsibility, leadership, and ethical business discussions (e.g., 'compassionate leadership').
Academic
Common in psychology, ethics, philosophy, theology, and medical humanities papers.
Everyday
Used to describe a valued personal quality or reaction to others' misfortune.
Technical
Specific usage in psychology (e.g., 'compassion fatigue') and healthcare (e.g., 'compassionate care').
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- (Rare/archaic) We must compassionate those in distress.
American English
- (Rare/archaic) The judge compassionated the defendant's circumstances.
adverb
British English
- He listened compassionately to her story.
American English
- She spoke compassionately about the challenges faced by refugees.
adjective
British English
- She is known for her compassionate approach to nursing.
- The charity provides compassionate leave for employees.
American English
- He gave a compassionate response to the criticism.
- The judge was praised for her compassionate ruling.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- She felt compassion for the lost dog.
- Good doctors have compassion.
- The teacher showed great compassion towards the struggling student.
- We should treat everyone with compassion and respect.
- His experiences as a volunteer filled him with deep compassion for the homeless.
- A lack of compassion in political discourse is often criticised.
- The novel explores the tension between justice and compassion in a flawed legal system.
- Compassion fatigue is a serious issue among caregivers in high-stress environments.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of COMING TOGETHER (com-) with a PASSION to help someone in need. Compassion = com-passion.
Conceptual Metaphor
COMPASSION IS A LIQUID/WARMTH (e.g., 'He was filled with compassion', 'a warm compassion'). COMPASSION IS A FORCE (e.g., 'motivated by compassion').
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not confuse with 'страсть' (passion). 'Compassion' is сострадание or сочувствие, implying shared suffering, not romantic or intense desire.
- The adjective 'compassionate' (сострадательный) is more common than the noun in some contexts where Russian might use the noun.
Common Mistakes
- Confusing spelling: 'compation' (missing 'ss').
- Using 'compassion' as a verb (it's a noun; the verb is 'to compassionate' – very rare – or 'to show compassion').
- Using it interchangeably with 'passion' (e.g., 'He has a compassion for football' is incorrect).
Practice
Quiz
Which of the following best describes the core element of 'compassion'?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings of another. Compassion goes a step further; it is empathy plus the desire to take action to help alleviate the suffering.
It is primarily an uncountable (mass) noun (e.g., 'show compassion'). It is rarely used in a countable form ('a great compassion'), which sounds formal or literary.
Rarely. It is overwhelmingly positive. In very specific contexts, 'excessive compassion' might be criticised as being sentimental or impractical, but the word itself is positive.
The adjective is 'compassionate'. It is very common and describes a person or action that shows compassion (e.g., 'a compassionate person', 'compassionate care', 'compassionate leave' - time off work for a personal/family crisis).
Collections
Part of a collection
Relationships
B1 · 49 words · Vocabulary for interpersonal and social connections.
Philosophy and Ethics
C1 · 50 words · Philosophical concepts and ethical reasoning.
Nuanced Emotions
C2 · 48 words · Precise vocabulary for complex emotional states.