compassionate
/kəmˈpæʃənət/adjective
compassionate is spelled C-O-M-P-A-S-S-I-O-N-A-T-E: 13 letters and 4 syllables. It appears 3.5 times per million words in written English, the 13,897th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, compassionate means “Having, feeling or showing compassion (to or toward someone)” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in compassionate?
| Letters | 13: C-O-M-P-A-S-S-I-O-N-A-T-E |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 4 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 3.5 times per million words; the 13,897th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Rhymes with |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is compassionate?
Compassionate appears 3.5 times per million words in written English, the 13,897th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce compassionate?
- UK /kəmˈpæʃənət/
As a verb (“To feel compassion (for someone or with regard to…”): /kəmˈpæʃəneɪt/.
Compassionate has 4 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-compassionate.wav, LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vininn126-compassionate.wav, LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-compassionate2.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with compassionate?
One word on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as compassionate from its last stressed vowel (/æʃənət/, British pronunciation):
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of compassionate
- more compassionate comparative
- most compassionate superlative
- compassionates present, singular, he/she/it
- compassionating participle, present
- compassionated participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does compassionate mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
Having, feeling or showing compassion (to or toward someone).
The Compassionate, the All-Compassionate
- 2
Given to someone as an exception because of a family emergency or a death in their family.
compassionate leave; a compassionate visa
- 3
obsoleteInviting or asking for pity.
verb
- 1
archaicTo feel compassion (for someone or with regard to something); to regard (someone or something) with compassion.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Compassionate in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense having, feeling or showing compassion:
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | compatissant |
| German | mitfühlend, teilnahmsvoll, anteilnehmend, mitleidvoll, mitleidsvoll, mitleidend |
| Spanish | compasivo |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does compassionate come from?
Pseudo-Latinism, derived from a pseudo-Latin form of French compassionné, past participle of compassionner (“to feel sorry for”). By surface analysis, compassion + -ate.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).