compassionate

adjective

1. 1

   Having, feeling or showing compassion (to or toward someone).

   The Compassionate, the All-Compassionate

   As a compassionate Turcoyse which doth tell By looking pale, the wearer is not well,

   1675, Robert South, A Sermon preached at Christ-Church, in Twelve Sermons Preached upon Several Occasions, London: Thomas Bennett, 1692, p. 574, […] there never was any heart truly great and generous, that was not also tender, and compassionate.

   He was by nature so exceedingly compassionate of anyone who seemed to be ill at ease […] that he shook hands with Mr. Micawber, at least half-a-dozen times in five minutes.

2. 2

   Given to someone as an exception because of a family emergency or a death in their family.

   compassionate leave; a compassionate visa

3. 3

   obsoleteInviting or asking for pity.

   It boots thee not to be compassionate: After our sentence plaining comes too late.

verb

1. 1

   archaicTo feel compassion (for someone or with regard to something); to regard (someone or something) with compassion.

   […] seeing them die so wofully in the flames, he compassionated them.

   The Justice which Mr. Allworthy had executed on Partridge, at first met with universal Approbation; but no sooner had he felt its Consequences, than his Neighbours began to relent, and to compassionate his Case;

   And yet I could not help bitterly compassionating the honest fellow, brought to the gallows, as he was, strictly speaking, by the machinations of that devil incarnate, Mr. Tyrrel.

   “[…] if she were a nice, pretty child, one might compassionate her forlornness; but one really cannot care for such a little toad as that.”

Forms

comparative

more compassionate

superlative

most compassionate

past tense

compassionated

past participle

compassionated

present participle

compassionating

third person singular

compassionates