Synonyms for compassion
kəmˈpæʃ əncom·pas·sion

WiktionaryRate these synonyms:5.0 / 1 vote

1. compassionnoun

   Synonyms:
   ruth, mercy, kindness, sorrow, empathy, tenderheartedness, heart, pity

2. compassionnoun

   Deep awareness of the suffering of another, coupled with the wish to relieve it

   Synonyms:
   tenderheartedness, empathy, pity, mercy, ruth, sorrow, kindness, heart

English Synonyms and AntonymsRate these synonyms:2.0 / 1 vote

1. compassion

   Mercy is the exercise of less severity than one deserves, or in a more extended sense, the granting of kindness or favor beyond what one may rightly claim. Grace is favor, kindness, or blessing shown to the undeserving; forgiveness, mercy, and pardon are exercised toward the ill-deserving. Pardon remits the outward penalty which the offender deserves; forgiveness dismisses resentment or displeasure from the heart of the one offended; mercy seeks the highest possible good of the offender. There may be mercy without pardon, as in the mitigation of sentence, or in all possible alleviation of necessary severity; there may be cases where pardon would not be mercy, since it would encourage to repetition of the offense, from which timely punishment might have saved. Mercy is also used in the wider sense of refraining from harshness or cruelty toward those who are in one's power without fault of their own; as, they besought the robber to have mercy. Clemency is a colder word than mercy, and without its religious associations, signifying mildness and moderation in the use of power where severity would have legal or military, rather than moral sanction; it often denotes a habitual mildness of disposition on the part of the powerful, and is matter rather of good nature or policy than of principle. Leniency or lenity denotes an easy-going avoidance of severity; these words are more general and less magisterial than clemency; we should speak of the leniency of a parent, the clemency of a conqueror. Compare PITY.

   Synonyms:
   benevolence, benignity, blessing, clemency, favor, forbearance, forgiveness, gentleness, grace, kindness, lenience, leniency, lenity, mercy, mildness, pardon, pardon, pity, tenderness

   Antonyms:
   cruelty, hardness, harshness, implacability, justice, penalty, punishment, revenge, rigor, severity, sternness, vengeance

   Preposition:
   The mercy of God to or toward sinners; have mercy on or upon one.

Complete Dictionary of Synonyms and AntonymsRate these synonyms:3.0 / 3 votes

1. compassion

   Synonyms:
   pity, sympathy, condolence, tenderness, fellow-feeling, commiseration, pardon

   Antonyms:
   hardheartedness, unforgiveness, cruelty, antipathy, denunciation, condemnation, vindictiveness, retaliation

Princeton's WordNetRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. compassion, compassionatenessnoun

   a deep awareness of and sympathy for another's suffering

   Synonyms:
   compassionateness, pity

2. compassion, pitynoun

   the humane quality of understanding the suffering of others and wanting to do something about it

   Synonyms:
   shame, commiseration, pathos, compassionateness, pity, ruth

Matched Categories

1. • Mercifulness
   • Sympathy

Dictionary of English SynonymesRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. compassionnoun

   Synonyms:
   pity, commiseration, sympathy, tenderness, kindness, kindliness, clemency, fellow-feeling, bowels of compassion, melting mood

Synonyms, Antonyms & Associated WordsRate these synonyms:3.0 / 2 votes

1. compassionnoun

   Synonyms:
   pity, sympathy, commiseration, condolence mercy

PPDB, the paraphrase databaseRate these paraphrases:0.0 / 0 votes

1. List of paraphrases for "compassion":

   sympathy, compassionate, caring, empathy, mercy, warm-heartedness, pity

How to pronounce compassion?

How to say compassion in sign language?

Words popularity by usage frequency

How to use compassion in a sentence?

1. The Waco Tribune-Herald:

   Acts of sexual violence contradict every value Baylor University upholds as a caring Christian community. In recent years we have joined university efforts nationally to prevent campus violence against women and sexual assault, to actively support survivors of sexual assault with compassion and care, and to take action against perpetrators. We have established and fully staffed a Title IX office that employs a Title IX Coordinator and two full-time investigators. Maintaining a safe and caring community is central to Baylor's mission and at the heart of our commitment to our students, faculty and staff.

2. Gavin Newsom:

   Across the country, National Republicans are attacking our fundamental rights as Americans, destroying democracy, stripping a woman of the right to choose, and standing idly by as gun violence claims too many lives. California is the antidote to their cynicism -- leading with compassion, common-sense and science.

3. Prince Harry:

   Therapy has equipped me to be able to take on anything he said, that’s why I’m here now, that’s why my wife is here now. Without therapy and without doing the work, we would not be able to withstand this. I’ve never had any anger through this, I’ve always had compassion.

4. Gabby Giffords:

   Joe Biden leads with Joe Biden heart. Joe Biden has the compassion and toughness to lead on Gun Safety, i've witnessed Joe Biden comfort the survivors of gun violence, and I've seen Joe Biden fight for solutions to gun violence — and win. This is the leadership we need in the White House. Joe Biden is the choice for a gun safety president.

5. South African:

   A man of extraordinary intellect, integrity and invincibility against the forces of apartheid, he was also tender and vulnerable in his compassion for those who had suffered oppression, injustice and violence under apartheid, and oppressed and downtrodden people around the world.