different between compassionate vs cheerful

English

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

• (UK, adjective) IPA^(key): /k?m?pæ??n?t/
• (UK, verb) IPA^(key): /k?m?pæ??ne?t/

Adjective

compassionate (comparative more compassionate, superlative most compassionate)

1. Having, feeling or showing compassion (to or toward someone).

   Synonyms: empathetic, sympathetic, ruthful

   (names given to God in Islam)

   • 1611, John Donne, An Anatomy of the World, London: Samuel Macham,^[1]

     As a compassionate Turcoyse which doth tell

     By looking pale, the wearer is not well,

   • 1675, Robert South, A Sermon preached at Christ-Church, in Twelve Sermons Preached upon Several Occasions, London: Thomas Bennett, 1692, p. 574,^[2]

     […] there never was any heart truly great and generous, that was not also tender, and compassionate.

   • 1850, Charles Dickens, David Copperfield, London: Bradbury and Evans, Chapter 49, p. 502,^[3]

     He was by nature so exceedingly compassionate of anyone who seemed to be ill at ease […] that he shook hands with Mr. Micawber, at least half-a-dozen times in five minutes.

   • 2007, Mohsin Hamid, The Reluctant Fundamentalist, Orlando: Harcourt, Chapter 7, p. 99,^[4]

     […] 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.

2. Given to someone as an exception because of a family emergency or a death in their family.

3. (obsolete) Inviting or asking for pity.

   Synonym: pitiable

   • c. 1595, William Shakespeare, Richard II, Act I, Scene 3,^[5]

     It boots thee not to be compassionate:

     After our sentence plaining comes too late.

Derived terms

• compassionately
• compassionateness
• uncompassionate

Translations

Verb

compassionate (third-person singular simple present compassionates, present participle compassionating, simple past and past participle compassionated)

1. (transitive, archaic) To feel compassion (for someone or with regard to something); to regard (someone or something) with compassion.

   Synonyms: pity, feel sorry for

   • 1602, Thomas Lodge (translator), The Famous and Memorable Workes of Josephus, London: G. Bishop et al., Chapter 6, p. 733,^[6]

     […] seeing them die so wofully in the flames, he compassionated them.

   • 1749, Henry Fielding, Tom Jones, Dublin: John Smith, Volume 1, Book 2, Chapter 6, p. 83,^[7]

     The Justice which Mr. Allworthy had executed on Partridge, at first met with universal Approbation; but no sooner had he felt its Consequences, than his Neighbours began to relent, and to compassionate his Case;

   • 1794, William Godwin, Things as They Are; or, The Adventures of Caleb Williams, London: B. Crosby, Volume 2, Chapter 1, p. 4,^[8]

     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.

   • 1847, Charlotte Brontë, Jane Eyre, London: Smith, Elder, Volume 1, Chapter 3, p. 38,^[9]

     “ […] if she were a nice, pretty child, one might compassionate her forlornness; but one really cannot care for such a little toad as that.”

Translations

Italian

Verb

compassionate

1. second-person plural present indicative of compassionare
2. second-person plural imperative of compassionare
3. feminine plural of compassionato

English

Alternative forms

• cheerfull (archaic)
• chearful (archaic or dialectal)

Etymology

From Middle English chereful, cherful, equivalent to cheer +? -ful.

Pronunciation

• (General American) IPA^(key): /?t????f?l/, /?t????f?l/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?t????f?l/, /?t????f?l/
• Hyphenation: cheer?ful
• Rhymes: -??rf?l

Adjective

cheerful (comparative more cheerful, superlative most cheerful)

1. Noticeably happy and optimistic.

   Synonyms: bright, bubbly, cheerly, ebullient, happy, joyful, merry, optimistic, vivacious; see also Thesaurus:happy

   Antonyms: depressed, miserable, sad

2. Bright and pleasant.

   • At half-past nine on this Saturday evening, the parlour of the Salutation Inn, High Holborn, contained most of its customary visitors. […] In former days every tavern of repute kept such a room for its own select circle, a club, or society, of habitués, who met every evening, for a pipe and a cheerful glass.

Translations