Meaning of compassionate in English

compassionate

adjective

approving

/kəmˈpæʃ.ən.ət/ uk

/kəmˈpæʃ.ən.ət/

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feeling or showing sympathy and sadness for the suffering or bad luck of others, and wanting to help them:

The public's response to the crisis appeal was generous and compassionate.

He was a wonderful listener and a deeply compassionate man.

Thesaurus: synonyms, antonyms, and examples

calm and nice to others

gentleShe's so sweet and gentle with the children.
mildHer grandmother is such a kind, mild person.
mild-manneredHe's a mild-mannered diplomat known for his measured responses to crisis.
genteelThey're lovely, genteel people who sent flowers when her father passed away.
wouldn't hurt a flyOh, she's so nice, she wouldn't hurt a fly.

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compassionate grounds

a reason, especially in law, to allow someone to do something out of sympathy for their suffering:

The question was whether the court should release him on compassionate grounds because of his health.

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Her students say that she is compassionate and caring.
They did it in a very kind and compassionate way.
He argued for "compassionate conservatism" in his speech.
She's always been very compassionate. She loves to do things for people.

SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases

Sympathy & compassion

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Related words

compassion

compassionately

(Definition of compassionate from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)

Examples of compassionate

compassionate

Each of us can offer compassionate and dignified support to a friend, neighbor, or relative who may need it.

From Philly.com

This may have been a "form letter," but there was a compassionate presence behind those words.

From NPR

This is not the voice of a compassionate leadership.

From Politico

But is a compassionate response to our shortcomings any better?

From Huffington Post

You can see how compassionate he was for people.

From NOLA.com

But we have a strong community -- a compassionate community.

From The Seattle Times

We have to teach ourselves how to be kind even if we are not feeling particularly compassionate-even if we are too overwhelmed to feel kind.

From Huffington Post

It's also compassionate toward your purse, as a pound can feed four for something like $10.

From Slate Magazine

Be patient, kind and compassionate with yourself about what is true for you.

From Huffington Post

Both were known for having a firm but compassionate hand for people who had fallen on the wrong side of the law.

From OregonLive.com

Then the discussion turned to how people can be more like that, more accepting, even more compassionate.

From Chicago Tribune

He added that he will continue to emphasize "respectful and compassionate policing," a philosophy he said he has maintained his entire career.

From Los Angeles Times

Both partners do not take unfair advantage of the other's offerings, and keep a compassionate tally.

From Huffington Post

It's the compassionate and idealistic thing to do, right?

From Washington Times

These examples are from corpora and from sources on the web. Any opinions in the examples do not represent the opinion of the Cambridge Dictionary editors or of Cambridge University Press or its licensors.

What is the pronunciation of compassionate?