different between cordial vs compassionate

English

Etymology

From Middle English cordial, from Old French cordial, from Medieval Latin cordi?lis (“of the heart”), from cor (“heart”).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /?k??.d?.?l/, /?k??.d??l/
• (US) IPA^(key): /?k??.d?.?l/, /?k??.d??l/, /?k??.dj?l/

Adjective

cordial (comparative more cordial, superlative most cordial)

1. Hearty; sincere; warm; affectionate.
   • 1667, John Milton, Paradise Lost, 1859, Thomas Keightley (editor), The Poems of John Milton, Volume 1, page 381,

     He, on his side / Leaning half raised, with looks of cordial love / Hung over her enamoured.

   • 1885, George Washington Schuyler, Colonial New York: Philip Schuyler and His Family, C. Scribner's Sons,

     The relations between the Earl of Bellomont and Colonel Schuyler were formal, but not cordial from the first.

2. Radiating warmth and friendliness; genial.
   • 1869, Richard Doddridge Blackmore, Lorna Doone, Chapter 66,

     The sight of London warmed my heart with various emotions, such as a cordial man must draw from the heart of all humanity.

3. (rare) Tending to revive, cheer, or invigorate; giving strength or spirits.
   • 1634, John Milton, Comus, 1853, John Mitford (editor), The Poetical Works of John Milton, Volume 3, page 106,

     And first behold this cordial julep here / That flames and dances in his crystal bounds, / With spirits of balm, and fragrant syrups mix'd.

4. (obsolete) Proceeding from the heart.
   • 1667, John Milton, Paradise Lost, 1957, Merritt Yerkes Hughes (editor), Complete Poems and Major Prose, page 373,

     Who stooping op'n'd my left side, and took / From thence a Rib with cordial spirits warm, / And Life-blood streaming fresh;

Synonyms

• (hearty, warm): heartfelt
• (radiating warmth and friendliness): affable, amiable
• (tending to revive): cheering, invigorating

Derived terms

• cordiality
• cordially

Related terms

Translations

Noun

cordial (plural cordials)

1. (Britain, Australia, New Zealand) A concentrated noncarbonated soft drink which is diluted with water before drinking.
2. (Britain, Australia, New Zealand) An individual serving of such a diluted drink.
3. A pleasant-tasting medicine.
4. A liqueur prepared using the infusion process.
   • 1728, John Gay, The Beggar's Opera, Act III, Scene 1, in 1828, British Theatre, Comprising Tragedies, Comedies, Operas, and Farces, 827,

     Lucy. But, miss Polly—in the way of friendship, will you give me leave to propose a glass of cordial to you ?

     Polly. Strong waters are apt to give me the headache.—I hope, madam, you will excuse me?

   • 1908, Lucy Maud Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables, L. C. Page & Co.

     [Marilla] had put the bottle of raspberry cordial down in the cellar instead of in the closet [...].

5. A candy (or bonbon) usually made of milk chocolate, filled with small fruits (often maraschino cherries) and syrup or fondant.
6. (figuratively) Anything that revives or comforts.

Hypernyms

• liqueur

Translations

Anagrams

• Di Carlo, DiCarlo, Dicarlo

French

Etymology

Borrowed from Medieval Latin cordi?lis.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /k??.djal/

Adjective

cordial (feminine singular cordiale, masculine plural cordiaux, feminine plural cordiales)

1. (archaic) stimulating the heart; tonic
2. coming from the heart; sincere
3. amiable

   Synonyms: chaleureux, aimable, sympathique

Derived terms

• cordialement
• cordialiser
• cordialité

Noun

cordial m (plural cordiaux)

1. (medicine, obsolete) stimulant
2. cordial

Further reading

• “cordial” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

Portuguese

Etymology

From Latin cordialis.

Adjective

cordial m or f (plural cordiais, comparable)

1. cordial (sincere; affectionate)

Derived terms

• cordialmente

Further reading

• “cordial” in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa.

Romanian

Etymology

From French cordial.

Adjective

cordial m or n (feminine singular cordial?, masculine plural cordiali, feminine and neuter plural cordiale)

1. cordial

Declension

Related terms

• cordialitate

Romansch

Adjective

cordial

1. sincere
2. cordial

Derived terms

• cordialmain

Spanish

Etymology

From Latin cordialis.

Adjective

cordial (plural cordiales)

1. cordial

Derived terms

• cordialmente

Further reading

• “cordial” in Diccionario de la lengua española, Vigésima tercera edición, Real Academia Española, 2014.

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