Compassion: meaning, definitions and examples

Compassion involves feeling deep sympathy and concern for someone suffering, with a desire to help or alleviate the pain. It is often used in situations requiring kindness and understanding.

• She showed great compassion to the homeless man, offering him food and warmth
• The nurse's compassion made the patient's difficult journey a bit easier

Empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings of another person. It is used when trying to relate to someone's emotional state without necessarily trying to change it.

• After listening to her friend's problems, she felt real empathy and tried to see the world through his eyes
• His empathy for the grieving family helped them cope with their loss

Sympathy means feeling pity and sorrow for someone else's misfortune. It is often expressed through consoling words or gestures but doesn't necessarily involve experiencing the same emotions.

• She offered her deepest sympathy to her friend who had lost a loved one
• The community showed sympathy by sending flowers and condolence messages

Mercy is about showing forgiveness or leniency, especially when one has the power to punish or harm. It often carries a sense of authoritative kindness.

• The judge showed mercy to the defendant, giving a lighter sentence
• During the war, the soldier pleaded for mercy from his captors