compassion

compassion — noun

1. a feeling of deep care for someone who is going through pain or trouble, which m

1.名詞B2
釋義

a feeling of deep care for someone who is going through pain or trouble, which makes you want to do something kind to help them

例句

The nurse looked at the frightened child with compassion and gently held his hand.

prepositional phrase: with compassion

When the Watanabe family's house burned down, the whole town was filled with compassion for them.

collocation: filled with compassion for

同義詞
  • sympathy

    overlaps with compassion but does not necessarily include the desire to help; sympathy is more about sharing in someone's sadness

  • empathy

    the ability to understand another person's feelings by imagining yourself in their position, rather than actively wanting to relieve their suffering

  • mercy

    kindness shown to someone who has done something wrong, by not punishing them as severely as they deserve; narrower than compassion

  • pity

    a feeling of sadness for someone's suffering, but can carry a sense of looking down on the person; compassion is more equal and action-oriented

反義詞
  • cruelty

    deliberate infliction of pain or suffering, the opposite of wanting to help

  • indifference

    lack of interest or concern about someone's suffering, without the active care that compassion involves

文法句型

compassion for/toward [someone]

have/feel/show compassion

out of compassion

with compassion

用法筆記

Uncountable — you cannot say 'a compassion' (though 'a feeling of compassion' is fine). Common with the prepositions 'for' and 'toward'. Frequently used in phrases like 'out of compassion' (as a reason for an action) and 'with compassion' (describing how an action is done).

常見錯誤

❌I feel a deep compassion for the victims.
✅I feel deep compassion for the victims.
💡Compassion is uncountable and does not take the indefinite article 'a'.
❌She showed compassion on the lost puppy.
✅She showed compassion for the lost puppy.
💡Use 'for' or 'toward', not 'on'.