as in compassionate
having or marked by sympathy and consideration for others
a softhearted person who never hesitates to help anyone in trouble
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Recent Examples of softhearted
Ben Lewis Doherty, playing a boy named Sam whose life is upended by Robbie, is the show’s greatest innocent, a softhearted moppet who warns deer to be careful when crossing the street.
—
Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 5 Sep. 2025
Becker shows that proponents of Brexit talked surprisingly little about the past and tried, in fact, to hang nostalgia’s toxic millstone around the necks of Remainers, accusing them of a softhearted attachment to the now sclerotic dream of European unity.
—Thomas Mallon, The New Yorker, 20 Nov. 2023
The struggle to save the farm deepens the partnership between Craig, softhearted but realistic, and Jillian, the persistent Jiminy Cricket on his shoulder.
—James Poniewozik, New York Times, 17 Aug. 2023
Ford received a standing ovation last spring at the Cannes Film Festival, and his gruff but softhearted demeanor works.
—Dan Lybarger, Arkansas Online, 29 June 2023
How to adopt: Interested adopters can meet softhearted Summer at the Arizona Humane Society’s South Mountain location.
—The Republic, The Arizona Republic, 28 Apr. 2023
Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 5 Sep. 2025
Becker shows that proponents of Brexit talked surprisingly little about the past and tried, in fact, to hang nostalgia’s toxic millstone around the necks of Remainers, accusing them of a softhearted attachment to the now sclerotic dream of European unity.
—Thomas Mallon, The New Yorker, 20 Nov. 2023
The struggle to save the farm deepens the partnership between Craig, softhearted but realistic, and Jillian, the persistent Jiminy Cricket on his shoulder.
—James Poniewozik, New York Times, 17 Aug. 2023
Ford received a standing ovation last spring at the Cannes Film Festival, and his gruff but softhearted demeanor works.
—Dan Lybarger, Arkansas Online, 29 June 2023
How to adopt: Interested adopters can meet softhearted Summer at the Arizona Humane Society’s South Mountain location.
—The Republic, The Arizona Republic, 28 Apr. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for softhearted
Adjective
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Vettel is already known as a mentor for younger drivers, and his compassionate, veteran savvy would help any racing organization develop talent.—
Nelson Espinal,
MSNBC Newsweek,
16 Sep. 2025
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Jess is compassionate and understanding.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
16 Sep. 2025
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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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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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
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
Cite this Entry
“Softhearted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/softhearted. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
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