compassionate

compassionate — adjective

1. describing someone who notices when others are in pain or facing hard times and

1.adjectiveB2
Definition

describing someone who notices when others are in pain or facing hard times and genuinely wants to do something to help them or make them feel better

Example

The compassionate nurse sat with the elderly patient until his family arrived.

adjective before noun showing kind behaviour toward someone in need

After the earthquake, neighbours showed compassionate support by sharing food and water.

Common collocations
  • compassionate person
  • compassionate care
  • compassionate heart
  • compassionate response
  • compassionate nature
Synonyms
  • sympathetic

    focuses on understanding someone's feelings; 'compassionate' adds a stronger desire to help

  • caring

    broader — describes ongoing concern for someone's wellbeing, not specifically tied to suffering

  • kind

    general personality trait; 'compassionate' is more specific to responding to hardship

  • tender-hearted

    more informal and emotional; suggests a gentle, soft reaction to others' pain

Antonyms
  • cruel

    the opposite — deliberately causing or enjoying others' suffering

  • callous

    shows no concern or emotional reaction to others' pain

  • indifferent

    simply does not care; less actively negative than 'cruel'

Common Mistakes

She is a very compassion person.
She is a very compassionate person.
'compassion' is a noun; add the -ate ending to make the adjective form.
He gave me a compassion look.
He gave me a compassionate look.
When describing a person or their action, use the adjective 'compassionate,' not the noun 'compassion.'

2. describing a special reason or permission given to someone because their persona

2.adjectiveC1
Definition

describing a special reason or permission given to someone because their personal situation involves unusual hardship or suffering, such as a family death or serious illness

Example

The company granted Tariq compassionate leave so he could attend his brother's funeral.

collocation: compassionate leave

Prisoners can seek early release on compassionate grounds if a family member is very ill.

collocation: compassionate grounds

Common collocations
  • compassionate leave
  • compassionate grounds
  • compassionate release
  • compassionate sentence
Synonyms
  • lenient

    describes a mild punishment or rule, but does not imply the reason is personal hardship

  • exceptional

    refers to unusual circumstances but does not carry the sympathy meaning

  • humanitarian

    broader — often describes aid or policy, not individual permission

Usage Note

This sense is almost always found in fixed phrases such as 'compassionate leave' (time off work after a family crisis) and 'on compassionate grounds' (a legal or administrative reason based on personal hardship). It is rarely used as a standalone description of a person.

Common Mistakes

I asked my boss for a compassionate day off.
I asked my boss for compassionate leave.
The fixed expression is 'compassionate leave,' not a general use of the adjective.

Word family

  • compassion
    nounB2
  • compassionately
    adverbC1
  • compassionateness
    nounC2

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

'Compassionate' is the strongest of these five words — it describes both an emotional response to someone's suffering and a genuine desire to relieve it. 'Sympathetic' may only involve understanding or acknowledging someone's pain without any action; you can nod sympathetically and walk away. 'Caring' is broader, describing ongoing concern for someone's wellbeing in everyday situations, not just during hardship. 'Kind' is the most general — it refers to a pleasant, helpful nature in all contexts, not specifically tied to suffering. 'Tender-hearted' is more informal and emotional, suggesting someone who is easily moved to tears by others' pain. For example, a sympathetic listener says 'That must be hard,' while a compassionate friend brings soup to your door when you are sick.

compassionate ↗sympathetic ↗caring ↗kind ↗tender-hearted

Common collocations

Adverbs

  • deeply compassionate
  • genuinely compassionate
  • truly compassionate

Prepositions

  • compassionate toward
  • compassionate with

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

Compassionate comes from the Latin verb 'compati,' which combines 'com-' (together) and 'pati' (to suffer) — so its original meaning is 'to suffer with' someone. This passed through Old French 'compassion' and entered English in the 1300s. The adjective form 'compassionate' appeared in the 1500s, carrying the same idea of sharing in another person's pain.