compassion

/kəm'pæʃn/
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Thân thiện
compassion

A young woman shows compassion by helping an elderly person cross the street.

Definition

Noun: 1. The humane quality of understanding the suffering of others and wanting to do something about it: A feeling of deep sympathy and sorrow for another who is stricken by misfortune, accompanied by a strong desire to alleviate the suffering. 2. A deep awareness of and sympathy for another's suffering: The emotional response when perceiving suffering and the motivation to help.

Usage

Compassion is a noun used to describe a profound human emotion. It is often directed towards those in distress and involves both feeling and action. - It is commonly followed by the preposition "for" (e.g., compassion for the victims). - It can be used with "on" in more formal or literary contexts, especially with verbs like "take" or "have" (e.g., to take compassion on someone). - It is an uncountable noun, so it is not typically used in the plural form.

Examples
  • The nurse treated every patient with great compassion.
  • He felt a surge of compassion for the lost child.
  • The community showed compassion by donating food and clothing to the refugees.
  • Her voice was full of compassion when she spoke to the grieving family.
Advanced Usage
  • To have/take compassion on (upon) someone: A formal or literary phrase meaning to show mercy or pity towards someone.
    • The king took compassion on the prisoners and granted them amnesty.
  • To feel compassion for someone: To experience a sense of pity and concern for someone's suffering.
    • I feel deep compassion for those affected by the natural disaster.
  • Compassion fatigue: A state of emotional exhaustion and reduced ability to empathize, often experienced by caregivers or those constantly exposed to the suffering of others.
    • After years working in the crisis zone, the aid workers began to experience compassion fatigue.
Variants and Related Words
  • Compassionate (adjective): Feeling or showing compassion.
    • She is a very compassionate doctor who listens to all her patients' concerns.
  • Compassionately (adverb): In a compassionate manner.
    • He spoke compassionately to the family about their loss.
Synonyms
  • Sympathy: Feelings of pity and sorrow for someone else's misfortune.
  • Empathy: The ability to understand and share the feelings of another.
  • Pity: The feeling of sorrow and compassion caused by the suffering of others.
  • Mercy: Compassion or forgiveness shown toward someone whom it is within one's power to punish or harm.
Antonyms
  • Indifference: Lack of interest, concern, or sympathy.
  • Cruelty: Willful infliction of pain or suffering.
  • Callousness: Insensitive and cruel disregard for others.
Idioms and Phrases
  • To act out of compassion: To do something because of a feeling of compassion.
    • She volunteered at the shelter, acting purely out of compassion.
  • A heart full of compassion: Describing someone who is very kind and sympathetic.
    • Everyone knew her as a woman with a heart full of compassion.
compassion

A young woman shows compassion by helping an elderly person cross the street.

Noun
  1. the humane quality of understanding the suffering of others and wanting to do something about it
  2. a deep awareness of and sympathy for another's suffering