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
Samantha Dewalt, Fortune, 12 Sep. 2025
By 2035, Riley hopes to have one million compassionate leaders sign the pledge on his website and inspire them to success.
—Maria Williams, USA Today, 10 Sep. 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
Implement tactics to build a more sustainable, more compassionate entrepreneurial culture.
—Samantha Dewalt, Fortune, 12 Sep. 2025
By 2035, Riley hopes to have one million compassionate leaders sign the pledge on his website and inspire them to success.
—Maria Williams, USA Today, 10 Sep. 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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To achieve excellence in AI, nations need the compute, but also chip production, AI talent, workforce and corporate adoption, benevolent government regulation, and a thriving ecosystem of AI startups.—
John Koetsier,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
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And of course Wendy tells Nibs the truth, putting them both on guard against the manipulations of their seemingly benevolent guardians.—
Alan Sepinwall,
Rolling Stone,
9 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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Even kind gestures or neutral actions can be misinterpreted as hostile or manipulative.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
13 Sep. 2025
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But some of them weren’t kind and that does something to you psychologically.—
Lisa Deaderick,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
13 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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In fact, when leaders are perceived as empathetic, people report greater engagement and innovation.—
Tracy Brower,
Forbes.com,
14 Sep. 2025
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Brian De Palma's lurid, almost feverish depiction of the bullying and abuse that Carrie White (Sissy Spacek) suffers at school and at home manages to feel empathetic rather than exploitative.—
James Grebey,
Time,
12 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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Similarly, the package also gains a lot from the persuasive, empathic performances from veteran players Maxine Peake, Shirley Henderson and Peter Mullan.—
Leslie Felperin,
HollywoodReporter,
10 Sep. 2025
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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
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 17 Sep. 2025.
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