compassion

noun

Deep awareness of the suffering of others that people have to the point of them being motivated to relieve such states.

(by extension, psychology) Deep awareness of the individual experiences of suffering of others or themselves that people have to the point of them being motivated to relieve such experiences, as reflected by the psychological term self-compassion.

verb

(obsolete) To pity.

Roots

patiorpass- · Latin · suffer, endure

Synonyms & related words for compassion

Find synonyms, related words, and the definition of compassion — including pity, mercifulness, commiseration, empathy, kindness, sympathy. Dendril is a free visual thesaurus that shows them on an interactive map where stronger matches sit closer to the center — no signup, no ads.

Words related to compassion

Explore words related to compassion — words associated with it, words that go with it, and its nearest matches in meaning. Related words include tenderheartedly, commiserative, compassionate, ruthful, goodheartedness, bigheartedness, magnanimity, generosity. Click any word to make it the center of the map and keep exploring the web of connections.

Synonyms for compassion

Common synonyms for compassion include pity, mercifulness, commiseration, empathy, kindness, sympathy, kindheartedness, mercy — words that share a close meaning. Hover or tap any word on the map for its definition and part of speech.

Where does compassion come from?

The word compassion breaks down into one root of Latin origin: the root pass-, from Latin patior (“suffer, endure”). Explore each root to see other English words built from the same source.