Merriam-Webster Logo
SINCE 1828
Menu
×

An Encyclopædia Britannica Company

Thesaurus

compassion

noun

Synonyms and Antonyms of compassion

1 sorrow or the capacity to feel sorrow for another's suffering or misfortune
  • treats the homeless with great compassion
Synonyms of compassion

commiseration, feeling, sympathy
Words Related to compassion

condolence, regret

humaneness, humanity, kindheartedness, kindliness, kindness, mercy, pity, softheartedness, warmheartedness

affinity, empathy, rapport, sensitivity, understanding

altruism, benevolence, benignity, bigheartedness, charity, generosity, goodwill, humanitarianism, largesse (also largess), magnanimity
Near Antonyms of compassion

indifference, insensitivity, unconcern

cruelty, harshness, inhumanity

animosity, antipathy, dislike, hatred, hostility
Antonyms of compassion

callousness, coldheartedness, hard-heartedness, heartlessness
2 the capacity for feeling for another's unhappiness or misfortune
  • has no compassion for people who squander their money
Synonyms of compassion

bigheartedness, charity, commiseration, feeling, good-heartedness, heart, humanity, kindheartedness, kindliness, kindness, largeheartedness, mercy, pity, ruth, softheartedness, sympathy, warmheartedness
Words Related to compassion

feelings, responsiveness, sensibility, sensitivity

affection, love, regard

affinity, empathy, rapport

altruism, benevolence, benignancy, benignity, generosity, goodwill, humaneness, humanism, humanitarianism, philanthropy
Near Antonyms of compassion

callousness, coldness, disinterest, indifference, unconcern

cruelty, harshness

animosity, antipathy, dislike, hatred, hostility
Antonyms of compassion

coldheartedness, hard-heartedness, inhumanity, inhumanness, mercilessness, pitilessness

Synonym Discussion of compassion

pity, compassion, commiseration, condolence, sympathy mean the act or capacity for sharing the painful feelings of another. pity implies tender or sometimes slightly contemptuous sorrow for one in misery or distress.
    • felt pity for the captives
compassion implies pity coupled with an urgent desire to aid or to spare.
    • treats the homeless with great compassion
commiseration suggests pity expressed outwardly in exclamations, tears, or words of comfort.
    • murmurs of commiseration filled the loser's headquarters
condolence applies chiefly to formal expression of grief to one who has suffered loss.
    • expressed their condolences to the widow
sympathy often suggests a tender concern but can also imply a power to enter into another's emotional experience of any sort.
    • went to my best friend for sympathy
    • in sympathy with her desire to locate her natural parents

Learn More about compassion

  1. See words that rhyme with compassion Dictionary: Definition of compassion Spanish Central: Translation of compassion Nglish: Translation of compassion for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of compassion for Arabic speakers

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up compassion? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show hide

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

WORD OF THE DAY

loath

play

unwilling or reluctant

Get Word of the Day daily email!

TRENDING NOW

  1. charlatan 'faker or fraud'

  2. lowlife 'a person of low moral character'

  3. kakistocracy 'government by the worst people'

  4. slimeball 'a morally repulsive or odious person'

  5. salacious 'arousing or appealing to sexual desire'

SEE ALL

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Words at Play

alt-5ade0f1ca7a0c
'Complement' vs. 'Compliment'

The distinction is clear (now).

image236659401
Words from Letters in the Greek Alphabet

When English borrows from another alphabet

alt-5ada140ed3e28
'Preventive' or 'Preventative'?

Why not both?

alt-5ad8fc71357ed
Words We're Watching: 'Bluebeard,' the Verb

No, it's not a coiffure trend

Ask the Editors

image1760257654
2017 Word of the Year: Behind the Scenes

How we chose 'feminism'

video-title-words-of-the-year-1066
Words of the Year: 1066

Or, Why Pig Meat is Called 'Pork' and Cow Meat is Called 'Beef'

video-literally
Literally

How to use a word that (literally) drives some people nuts.

video-his-or-her
Is Singular 'They' a Better Choice?

The awkward case of 'his or her'

Word Games

image1926873504
Odd Habits and Quirks Quiz

Test your knowledge of strange human behaviors.

Take the quiz
cats-on-impossible-timber
More Confusing Words—Quiz

How many of these commonly confused words do you know?

Take the quiz
True or False
True or False?

Test your knowledge - and maybe learn something along the way.

Take the quiz
Bee Cubed
Bee Cubed

Listen to the words and spell through all three levels.

Play the game