compassionate

Etymology

A pseudo-Latin form of French compassionné, past participle of compassionner (“feel sorry for”).

adj

1. Having, feeling or showing compassion (to or toward someone).
   The Compassionate, the All-Compassionate (names given to God in Islam)
   As a compassionate Turcoyse which doth tell By looking pale, the wearer is not well, 1611, John Donne, An Anatomy of the World, London: Samuel Macham
   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.
   […] the compassionate pangs I felt for soon-to-be redundant workers were not overwhelming in their frequency; our job required a degree of commitment that left one with rather limited time for such distractions. 2007, Mohsin Hamid, chapter 7, in The Reluctant Fundamentalist, Orlando: Harcourt, page 99
2. Given to someone as an exception because of a family emergency or a death in their family.
   compassionate leave; a compassionate visa
3. (obsolete) Inviting or asking for pity.
   After our sentence plaining comes too late.

verb

1. (transitive, archaic) To 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. 1602, G. Bishop et al., chapter 6, in Thomas Lodge, transl., The Famous and Memorable Workes of Josephus, London, page 733
   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. 1794, William Godwin, chapter 1, in Things as They Are; or, The Adventures of Caleb Williams, volume 2, London: B. Crosby, page 4