noun

compassion

kum-PASH-un/kəmˈpæʃn/

Concern for someone who is suffering and a desire to help.

The woman shows compassion by bringing soup to her ill neighbor.

A Black woman brings warm soup and a comforting hand to an ill white older neighbor resting at home.

Etymology

comLatinwith, together

+passLatinto suffer

+ionLatinstate or condition

Compassion literally expresses suffering with another. It could mean actually sharing someone's affliction, but its central sense is sharing in that person’s distress emotionally—feeling sorrow and tenderness for the person who suffers.

In context

TVUP31:05

compassion for taking care of differently abled persons so I think that's how we also want to approach it for the Department of Health to help our people understand the situation and be more inclusive

KALUSUGAN AY KARAPATAN | Episode 08: Autism and ADHD

More examples

She treats injured animals with compassion.
His compassion moves him to help neighbors facing eviction.
People grieving a loss need compassion, not criticism.

Forms

compassionate adjective — Concerned about suffering and eager to help.

compassionately adverb — With concern for someone who suffers.

Similar words

sympathy: Emphasizes concern for someone's distress without necessarily a desire to help.
empathy: Emphasizes understanding another person's feelings, not necessarily concern about suffering.
pity: Focuses on sorrow for people’s misfortune rather than helping them.