Adjacent Words

Compassionate definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

COMPASSIONATE, a. Having a temper or disposition to pity; inclined to show mercy; merciful; having a heart that is tender, and easily moved by the distresses, sufferings, wants and infirmities of others.
There never was a heart truly great and generous, that was not also tender and compassionate.
COMPASSIONATE, v.t. To pity; to commiserate; to have compassion for.
Compassionates my pains and pities me.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

adj
1: showing or having compassion; "heard the soft and compassionate voices of women" [ant: uncompassionate] v
1: share the suffering of [syn: feel for, pity, compassionate, condole with, sympathize with]

Merriam Webster's

I. adjective Date: 1579 1. having or showing compassion ; sympathetic <a compassionate friend> <a compassionate smile> 2. granted because of unusual distressing circumstances affecting an individual — used of some military privileges (as leave) • compassionately adverb • compassionateness noun II. transitive verb (-ated; -ating) Date: 1592 pity

Oxford Reference Dictionary

adj. sympathetic, pitying. Phrases and idioms: compassionate leave Brit. leave granted on grounds of bereavement etc. Derivatives: compassionately adv. Etymology: obs. F compassioné f. compassioner feel pity (as COMPASSION)

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Compassionate Com*pas"sion*ate, a. 1. Having a temper or disposition to pity; sympathetic; merciful. There never was any heart truly great and generous, that was not also tender and compassionate. --South. 2. Complaining; inviting pity; pitiable. [R.] --Shak. Syn: Sympathizing; tender; merciful; pitiful.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Compassionate Com*pas"sion*ate, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Compassionated; p. pr. & vb. n. Compassionating.] To have compassion for; to pity; to commiserate; to sympathize with. Compassionates my pains, and pities me. --Addison.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

If you describe someone or something as compassionate, you mean that they feel or show pity, sympathy, and understanding for people who are suffering. My father was a deeply compassionate man... She has a wise, compassionate face... ADJ: usu ADJ n [approval]

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

I. a. Tender, pitying, sympathetic, merciful, benignant, gracious, clement, kind, inclined to pity, full of compassion. II. v. a. Pity, commiserate, feel pity for, be moved with sympathy for.

Moby Thesaurus

Christian, Christlike, Christly, accepting, ache, affectionate, benign, benignant, bleeding, brotherly, charitable, clement, commiserate, commiserative, condolent, decent, deplore, easy, easygoing, feel for, forbearant, forbearing, forgiving, fraternal, gentle, good, gracious, grieve over, human, humane, kind, kindhearted, kindly, kindly-disposed, lament, lax, lenient, loving, melting, merciful, mild, moderate, mourn, nice, patient, piteous, pitiful, pity, pitying, regret, repine, responsive, ruthful, soft, softhearted, sympathetic, sympathize with, sympathizing, tender, tenderhearted, tolerant, understanding, warm, warmhearted