Synonyms of compassion

22 similar words · 5 opposite words

Another word for compassion is heart. Other synonyms of compassion are sympathy, mercy and commiseration. The opposite of compassion is ruthlessness.

Synonyms and similar words for compassion

commiserateTo feel or express compassion or sympathy for (someone or something).
feel sorry forTo pity; to show pity for.
feel someone's pain figurativelyTo sympathize with somebody.
pityTo make (someone) feel pity; to provoke the sympathy or compassion of.
take pityTo show compassion (towards).
compassionate archaicTo feel compassion (for someone or with regard to something); to regard (someone or something) with compassion.
condole obsoleteTo express condolence to, or sympathetic sorrow with (someone); to lament in sympathy with (someone).
mercify obsolete, rareTo have mercy on; to pity.
rue archaicTo feel compassion or pity; to take pity (on), to have compassion (on).

mercyForgiveness or compassion, especially toward those less fortunate.
ruthSorrow for the misery of another person; compassion, mercy, pity.
sorrow
tenderheartednessThe characteristic of being tenderhearted.
commiserationThe act of commiserating; sorrow for the hardships or afflictions of another; pity; compassion.
fellow feelingA sense of sympathy for, consideration of, or shared interests with one or more other human beings.
sympathyA feeling of pity or sorrow for the suffering or distress of another.
loving-kindness
bowels archaicCompassion, sympathy.
remorse obsoleteSorrow; pity; compassion.

compassionlessnessThe quality, state, or condition of being compassionless; uncompassion.
pitilessnessThe condition of being pitiless.
ruthlessnessThe property of being ruthless.
uncompassionLack or absence of compassion; compassionlessness.
unpityThe lack or absence of pity; pitilessness; ruthlessness.

noun Deep awareness of the suffering of others that people have to the point of them being motivated to relieve such states.
noun Deep awareness of the individual experiences of suffering of others or themselves that people have to the point of them being motivated to relieve such experiences, as reflected by the psychological term self-compassion.
verb To pity.

What is another word for compassion?: Compassion has 22 synonyms on Word.ws, such as heart, sympathy, mercy and commiseration.
What is the opposite of compassion?: The opposite of compassion is ruthlessness.
What does compassion mean?: Compassion means deep awareness of the suffering of others that people have to the point of them being motivated to relieve such states.

Adapted from Wiktionary: compassion (page history and authors) and the entries of the words listed. Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws grouped the synonyms and antonyms by meaning and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

Last updated: 2026-09-02

Cite this page: “Synonyms of compassion.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/synonyms/compassion. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.