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) (file) Audio (US) (file) - (UK, verb) IPA(key): /kəmˈpæʃəneɪt/
Audio (Southern England) (file)
Adjective
compassionate (comparative more compassionate, superlative most compassionate)
- 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,
- 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,
- […] 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,
- […] 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.
- Given to someone as an exception because of a family emergency or a death in their family.
- compassionate leave; a compassionate visa
- (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
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given to someone because of a family emergency
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inviting pity; pitiable
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Verb
compassionate (third-person singular simple present compassionates, present participle compassionating, simple past and past participle compassionated)
- (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,
- […] 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,
- 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
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Italian
Verb
compassionate
- inflection of compassionare:
- second-person plural present indicative
- second-person plural imperative
Participle
compassionate f pl
- feminine plural of compassionato