Compassion
/kəmˈpæʃən/
nounB2
Definition
Compassion means feeling deep kindness and understanding for someone who is in pain or trouble. It is more than just feeling sorry; it includes a wish to help or comfort the person. People show compassion by being gentle, patient, and supportive.
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See It in Action
Feeling kindness and wanting to help someone suffering
- •She showed great compassion to the homeless people in her city.
- •Doctors need compassion to care for their patients well.
- •His compassion made him volunteer at the animal shelter every weekend.
A quality or attitude of kindness and understanding
- •Compassion is important in building strong friendships.
- •The teacher spoke with compassion when the student was upset.
Make It Stick
- ✓Think of "compassion" like "care" (A1 word), but much stronger and with a wish to help someone who is suffering
- ✓Picture someone gently holding a friend’s hand when they are sad or hurt
- ✓It’s the warm feeling you get when you see someone in pain and want to make them feel better
- ✓Sounds like "come-PA-shun" → imagine someone saying "Come, pass on kindness" to help others
- ✓Think of stories where heroes help others not because they must, but because they truly feel for them
- ✓NOT like "pity" (feeling sorry but from above or distance), compassion is close and kind, wanting real help
- ✓NOT like "sympathy" (understanding feelings), compassion includes wanting to take action to help
- ✓NOT like "empathy" (feeling what others feel), compassion adds a caring and kind response
Try Other Words
- •Empathy: understanding and sharing another person’s feelings (Use when focusing on feeling what others feel, not necessarily wanting to help)
- •Sympathy: feeling sorry for someone’s trouble (Use when you feel sorry but may not take action)
- •Kindness: being nice and helpful (Use when emphasizing gentle and friendly behavior)
- •Mercy: kindness shown especially to someone in power over another (Use in formal or strong situations like forgiving or showing leniency)
Unboxing
- •Word parts: "com-" (with, together) + "passion" (strong feeling or suffering)
- •Etymology: From Latin "compassio," meaning "to suffer with" or "feel with"
- •Historical development: Originally used to describe feeling suffering together with others; over time it grew to mean caring kindness for those in pain
- •Modern usage: Used widely to describe kindness and desire to help people who are suffering in everyday life, medicine, and social work
Reflect & Connect
•How can showing compassion change the way people feel in difficult situations?
•Can you think of a time when someone’s compassion helped you or someone you know?
Fill in the blanks
1.When someone shows compassion, they often want to ___ the pain or trouble of others.
2.Compassion is more than just feeling sorry; it includes a strong wish to ___.
3.Unlike sympathy, compassion usually leads to ___ or helping actions.
4.People with compassion often ___ carefully to understand others’ feelings.
5.Compassion is important for jobs like nursing because it helps patients feel ___.
6.When we feel compassion, we do not only feel sad but also feel ___ to act.
7.Showing compassion can help build ___ and trust between people.