1
as in benevolent
having or marked by sympathy and consideration for others
a compassionate person by nature
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in sympathetic
having or showing the capacity for sharing the feelings of another
a compassionate smile made the refugees feel a little better
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to pity
to have sympathy for
a gentle soul who could compassionate even the most reprobate of scoundrels and villains
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of compassionate
Wyles Daniel, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2025
My son Pranav proved to be a compassionate and thoughtful listener.
—Revathi Advaithi, Time, 28 Aug. 2025
Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 27 Aug. 2025
Yet while 67% of white people who are eligible for PrEP are on it, only 8% eligible Black people are, often citing lack of access to healthcare or to compassionate healthcare.
—Annalisa Merelli, Quartz, 20 Apr. 2023
See All Example Sentences for compassionate
Adjective
How The Mind Architect Redefines Success Crone’s brand voice is characterized by intellectual rigor, compassionate understanding, and unwavering empowerment.
—Wyles Daniel, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2025
My son Pranav proved to be a compassionate and thoughtful listener.
—Revathi Advaithi, Time, 28 Aug. 2025
Verb
The solution is to shift from empathy to compassionate accountability: Instead of feeling with the person, focus on walking beside them while holding the line.
—Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 27 Aug. 2025
Yet while 67% of white people who are eligible for PrEP are on it, only 8% eligible Black people are, often citing lack of access to healthcare or to compassionate healthcare.
—Annalisa Merelli, Quartz, 20 Apr. 2023
See All Example Sentences for compassionate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for compassionate
Adjective
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The researchers call their approach a form of benevolent hacking that helps strengthen AI systems before weaknesses can be exploited.—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
7 Sep. 2025
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The social politics of these movies have never been great — the real-life Warrens were, by all accounts, pretty shitty people and not the gorgeous, benevolent forces portrayed by Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson — but that’s easily dismissed in the name of movie magic.—
Emily Palmer Heller,
Vulture,
5 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Public sentiment seemingly reached a turning point in July as reports of famine and Israeli soldiers firing on food lines in Gaza drove even sympathetic Democrats to issue rebukes.—
David Sivak,
The Washington Examiner,
12 Sep. 2025
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Perhaps, though, Kubrick's cold view of Jack and choice to diminish some of King's sympathetic nuances serve to heighten the terror; how much does knowing the complex motivations of a domestic abuser help their victims?—
James Grebey,
Time,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Twenty-first-century indie shaped the identities of many Millennials, but it’s now often talked about with pitying nostalgia—as the bygone style of hipsters with handlebar mustaches pretending to be countercultural while making easy-listening music for hotel lobbies.—
Spencer Kornhaber,
The Atlantic,
29 Aug. 2025
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This is not a tale that asks you to pity the monster.—
Daphne Woolsoncroft,
People.com,
8 July 2025
Adjective
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There's fanfare and unique vendors at every corner, so embrace the journey and be kind to others while shopping, both vendors and other shoppers.—
Jennifer Prince,
Southern Living,
6 Sep. 2025
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Continuing the Scandinavian stereotype, the Finnish community is similarly kind and welcoming to visitors.—
Kate McGregor,
Architectural Digest,
6 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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For someone who’s lived close to the edge, the film felt more hollow than empathetic.—
Beandrea July,
IndieWire,
7 Sep. 2025
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Task can be a drag, but its visions of what humanity needs are an act of empathetic, unapologetic faith.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
5 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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This isn't to say that Raskin's quest for a truly humane computer has completely come to naught.—
Cameron Kaiser,
ArsTechnica,
12 Sep. 2025
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Family Matters offers something radical and profoundly humane in a field where so much emphasis is placed on the one who struggles with addiction.—
Lyssanoel Frater,
USA Today,
9 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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That is, if a child is not well-loved, or does not routinely experience others empathizing with his or her distress, then that child will learn to fear and suspect others and will be lacking empathic skills.—
Howard Steele,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 Aug. 2025
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For some leaders, though, an overly empathic approach can deplete their energy reserves and emotional capacity, blurring their decision-making, stalling accountability and even opening the door to burnout, all of which negatively impact trust.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes.com,
27 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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An amicable run-in with his ex-wife in this episode has the same thoughtful feeling.—
Ben Rosenstock,
Vulture,
10 Sep. 2025
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Her solution is to be thoughtful and focused on the right risks and opportunities.—
Jack McCullough,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Compassionate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/compassionate. Accessed 14 Sep. 2025.
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