compassionate
compassionate — 形容詞
1. describing someone who notices when others are in pain or facing hard times and
有同情心
對他人苦難感到不捨並願意幫助
describing someone who notices when others are in pain or facing hard times and genuinely wants to do something to help them or make them feel better
The compassionate nurse sat with the elderly patient until his family arrived.
那位富有同情心的護士陪伴著年長病人，直到他的家人抵達。
adjective before noun showing kind behaviour toward someone in need
After the earthquake, neighbours showed compassionate support by sharing food and water.
地震過後，鄰居們以分享食物和飲水的方式展現了關懷與支持。
Dr. Okafor is a compassionate leader who listens to every employee's concerns.
Okafor 醫師是一位有同理心的主管，會仔細聆聽每位員工的煩惱。
The school's compassionate policy gave Aiko extra time on exams after her mother fell ill.
學校基於同理心的政策，讓 Aiko 在母親生病後有額外時間完成考試。
Ravi felt that his teacher's compassionate words helped him through a very difficult year.
Ravi 覺得老師充滿關懷的話語，幫助他度過了非常艱難的一年。
- sympathetic
focuses on understanding someone's feelings; 'compassionate' adds a stronger desire to help
- caring
broader — describes ongoing concern for someone's wellbeing, not specifically tied to suffering
- kind
general personality trait; 'compassionate' is more specific to responding to hardship
- tender-hearted
more informal and emotional; suggests a gentle, soft reaction to others' pain
- cruel
the opposite — deliberately causing or enjoying others' suffering
- callous
shows no concern or emotional reaction to others' pain
- indifferent
simply does not care; less actively negative than 'cruel'
常見錯誤
2. describing a special reason or permission given to someone because their persona
人道考量
因個人苦難而給予的特殊許可或考量
describing a special reason or permission given to someone because their personal situation involves unusual hardship or suffering, such as a family death or serious illness
The company granted Tariq compassionate leave so he could attend his brother's funeral.
公司批准了 Tariq 的喪假，讓他能參加弟弟的葬禮。
collocation: compassionate leave
Prisoners can seek early release on compassionate grounds if a family member is very ill.
如果家人生重病，受刑人可以基於人道考量申請提早釋放。
collocation: compassionate grounds
The judge gave a compassionate sentence because the man cared for his sick wife alone.
法官從輕量刑，因為這名男子獨自照顧生病的妻子。
Immigration officers approved Beatriz's visa on compassionate grounds after her father passed away.
在 Beatriz 的父親過世後，移民官基於人道考量核准了她的簽證。
- lenient
describes a mild punishment or rule, but does not imply the reason is personal hardship
- exceptional
refers to unusual circumstances but does not carry the sympathy meaning
- humanitarian
broader — often describes aid or policy, not individual permission
用法筆記
This sense is almost always found in fixed phrases such as 'compassionate leave' (time off work after a family crisis) and 'on compassionate grounds' (a legal or administrative reason based on personal hardship). It is rarely used as a standalone description of a person.