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?

Usage in printed sourcesFrom: 

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Words popularity by usage frequency

How to use compassion in a sentence?

1. Doug Collins:

   I can't think of a better way on this day to celebrate who we are as Americans, and who we are as people of compassion and faith, to say we are giving a first step to many who have not had that in the past. And the first step will get us to many others.

2. Emma Pomeroy:

   What is key here is the intentionality behind the burial. You might bury a body for purely practical reasons, in order to avoid attracting dangerous scavengers and/or to reduce the smell. But when this goes beyond practical elements it is important because that indicates more complex, symbolic and abstract thinking, compassion and care for the dead, and perhaps feelings of mourning and loss.

3. Bob Nonini:

   Let me be clear – I have always been a pro-life supporter. That means classifying abortion as murder. Since abortion is murder, I believe we should consider penalties for individuals involved in these procedures, however, it is my understanding that in the history of the United States, long before [Roe v. Wade] was foisted upon this country; no woman has ever been prosecuted for undergoing abortion. That is for practical reasons, as well as for reasons of compassion.

4. Sandeep Aggarwal:

   Top 7 things for an entrepreneur are: passion, vision, obsession, salesmanship, compassion, contagious energy and resilience. If you have them, you will be able to withstand any weather.

5. Lisa Katz and Tracey Pakosta:

   In such uncertain times, we can't think of anyone better than Leslie Knope to unite our country with her unbridled enthusiasm and compassion, a huge thank you to Mike Schur and the cast of' Parks and Recreation' for putting this wonderful special together and bringing a smile to all our faces while raising money for such a worthwhile cause.