different between tenderness vs compassion

English

Etymology

tender +? -ness

Pronunciation

• (General American) IPA^(key): /?t?n.d?.n?s/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?t?n.d?.n?s/
• Hyphenation: ten?der?ness

Noun

tenderness (countable and uncountable, plural tendernesses)

1. a tendency to express warm, compassionate feelings

   When the lovers were together, their cold indifference gave way to love and tenderness.

   • 1853, Charlotte Brontë, Villette

     I had known him jealous, suspicious; I had seen about him certain tendernesses, fitfulnesses—a softness which came like a warm air, and a ruth which passed like early dew, dried in the heat of his irritabilities: this was all I had seen.

2. concern for the feelings or welfare of others

   When they saw the poor orphans, they were overwhelmed with tenderness for them.

3. pain or discomfort when an affected area is touched

   He noted her extreme tenderness when he touched the bruise on her thigh.

Translations

English

Etymology

From Middle English compassioun, compassion, from Old French compassion, from Ecclesiastical Latin compassio (“sympathy”), from Latin compati, past participle compassus (“to suffer together with”), from com- (“together”) + pati (“to suffer”); see passion.

Pronunciation

• (UK, US) IPA^(key): /k?m?pæ?.?n/
• Rhymes: -æ??n

Noun

compassion (usually uncountable, plural compassions)

1. Deep awareness of the suffering of another, coupled with the wish to relieve it.
   • 1849, Robert Leighton (Archbishop of Glasgow), A practical commentary upon the first Epistle of St. Peter (page 47)

     Oh! the unspeakable privilege to have Him for our Father, who is the Father of mercies and compassions, and those not barren, fruitless pityings, for He is withal the God of all consolations.

Synonyms

• (deep awareness of another's suffering): empathy, mercy, ruth, pity, sorrow, tenderheartedness
• (desire to relieve another's suffering): kindness, heart, mercy, ruth, tenderheartedness

Derived terms

• compassionable
• compassionate
• compassion fatigue

Related terms

• compatible
• passion

Translations

Verb

compassion (third-person singular simple present compassions, present participle compassioning, simple past and past participle compassioned)

1. (obsolete) To pity.
   • 1607, William Shakespeare, The Tragedy of Titus Andronicus, IV. i. 124:

     O heavens, can you hear a good man groan / And not relent, or not compassion him?

   • 1830, The Last of the Supernaturalists, in James Fraser (editor), Fraser's Magazine, Volume 1, page 226,

     Both wanted in early life the one thing essential to every individual, of whatever nature or degree of intellect, a kind, compassioning adviser; - a true friend; […] .

Further reading

• compassion in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• compassion in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.

French

Etymology

Borrowed from Ecclesiastical Latin compassi?, compassi?nem, from Latin compatior.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /k??.pa.sj??/

Noun

compassion f (plural compassions)

1. compassion, pity

Related terms

• compatir
• passion

Further reading

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

Middle English

Noun

compassion

1. Alternative form of compassioun