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compassionate

v.
B2 Upper Intermediate US //kəmˈpæʃənət// UK //kəmpˈæʃənət// com·pas·sion·ate Archaic

v. showing kindness and care for others who are suffering. You use this to describe someone who wants to help people in pain.

v. feeling or showing sympathy and concern for others. Often describes a person's character or a specific act of mercy.


SIMPLE

She is a very compassionate person.

CONTEXTUAL

The judge was known for his compassionate approach to sentencing young offenders who showed genuine regret.

COMPLEX

A truly compassionate society is measured not by its wealth, but by how it treats its most vulnerable members during times of crisis.

Synonyms
Antonyms
Origin

A pseudo-Latin form of French compassionné, past participle of compassionner (“feel sorry for”). By surface analysis, compassion + -ate.

Usage

Typically precedes the noun it modifies or follows a linking verb like 'be' or 'seem'.

Pitfall

He felt compassionated for themHe felt compassionate toward themLearners sometimes mistakenly add an '-ed' ending to the adjective, treating it like a past participle.

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