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
Nick Franck, USA Today, 27 Jan. 2026
Taking either path never appealed to Mann, who was determined to deliver justice to Short in his compassionate chronicle of her brief life.
—Nathan Smith, Los Angeles Times, 26 Jan. 2026
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
Her outlook is both strategic and compassionate, combining empathy, innovation, and a dedication to transparency.
—Nick Franck, USA Today, 27 Jan. 2026
Taking either path never appealed to Mann, who was determined to deliver justice to Short in his compassionate chronicle of her brief life.
—Nathan Smith, Los Angeles Times, 26 Jan. 2026
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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Trump should ask himself whether stirring a hornet’s nest serves any purpose other than pointlessly alienating a benevolent neighbor that is beginning to pad its insurance policy by reaching out to non-hemispheric powers.—
Daniel DePetris,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Jan. 2026
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Buckle up for progress in career, finances, love, family, visibility, with an umbrella of benevolent protection.—
Kimberly King,
Baltimore Sun,
24 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Dell is her stream's dungeon master, banishing those who don't abide by her terms and steadily rising up the platform's ranks with her sympathetic story and angry-funny screen presence.—
Danielle Parker,
CBS News,
27 Jan. 2026
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Like several women maligned in the ’90s, Harding was reevaluated in later years, and the sympathetic 2017 biopic I, Tonya helped to rehabilitate her image.—
Natasha O'Neill,
Vanity Fair,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
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But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up.—
Kevin Sherrington,
Dallas Morning News,
8 Jan. 2026
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So horrific were the conditions, Tamimy at times pitied those brought to the hospital.—
Callum Sutherland,
Time,
22 Dec. 2025
Adjective
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Wei joins Bridgerton season 4 as Posy Li, Araminta's youngest daughter who's much kinder than her mother and older sister.—
Allison DeGrushe,
Entertainment Weekly,
29 Jan. 2026
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Given that Testing couldn’t even crack 80,000 in an era that was relatively kinder to hip-hop on the Billboard 200 — as well as the eight years of false starts and the lack of true pre-release hit — Don’t Be Dumb pulled off something just short of a miracle.—
Carl Lamarre,
Billboard,
29 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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There were takes that were more maternal, more empathetic and more cautious.—
Natalie Oganesyan,
Deadline,
25 Jan. 2026
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McGuire’s goal here is entertainment (achieved) but his empathetic treatment of the indigenous tribes the English come into contact and conflict with gives his novel a mournful air of tragedy.—
Chloe Schama,
Vogue,
24 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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The club is new and the dressing room feels more humane than most, like a hotel banquet room.—
Celina Pereira,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Jan. 2026
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Augmentation pulls teachers, case managers, and maintenance workers away from their core duties, eroding programs intended to reduce recidivism and maintain humane conditions.—
Walter Pavlo,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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When the hand was labeled as belonging to someone of a different religion, participants’ empathic responses dropped significantly.—
Dev Patnaik,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
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Its principles emphasize empathic leadership as a hallmark of leading companies and best workplaces.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
19 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Some parents carefully vetted and chose thoughtful names to add to the birth certificate, while others undoubtedly may have selected them on a whim or as a result of losing a bet.—
Cooper Worth,
Des Moines Register,
9 Jan. 2026
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Soft, breathable materials and thoughtful construction have made the silhouette way more wearable, offering a happy medium between your comfiest sneakers and your dressiest pumps.—
Nina Derwin,
Glamour,
8 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Compassionate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/compassionate. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
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