Compassion
n.kind, thoughtfulwarm
What it means
Concern for another's suffering joined with a desire to ease it.
Reach for it when praising humane attention that is moved toward help
Compassion led the examiner to offer a pause without lowering the safety standard.
Choose between these
7- everyday
sorrow or concern is felt for someone's difficulty
not when Sympathy can remain distant and may feel patronizing to the recipient.
- warm
benevolent treatment is the broad quality
not when Kindness can be cheerful or courteous without responding to suffering.
- warm
gentle affection shapes the response
not when Tenderness may be intimate and can miss practical, resolute help.
- professional
understanding or sharing another person's perspective is central
not when Empathy can exist without kindness, agreement, or any wish to help.
- formal
someone with power chooses to reduce punishment or harm
not when Mercy assumes authority over another and is too narrow for equal relationships.
- literary
shared human identification gives the concern warmth
not when The phrase sounds old-fashioned and does not itself imply action.
- literary
humane fellow feeling resists cruelty
not when Humanity is broad and can name all people rather than a specific response.
Said against
3- cruelty
- indifference
- callousness
It naturally appears in
3- show compassion
The judge could show compassion while keeping the process fair.
- deep compassion
Her deep compassion became a practical plan for respite care.
- compassion for
Compassion for injured wildlife motivated safer road barriers.
Where this comes from
- merriam-webster, noun sense 1 opens in a new tab · retrieved 2026-07-26
The definition and the example on this page are written here. The dictionaries above ground which meaning is being described, not the wording.