Sympathy vs. Compassion — What's the Difference?
By Tayyaba Rehman & Fiza Rafique — Updated on September 16, 2023
"Sympathy" refers to the understanding or acknowledgment of another person's emotional state, often involving feelings of pity. "Compassion" goes a step further, involving not just understanding but also the desire to alleviate another's suffering.
Difference Between Sympathy and Compassion
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
"Sympathy" primarily involves recognizing and perhaps sharing the feelings of another person. When you express sympathy, you're saying that you understand or can imagine someone's pain. "Compassion," on the other hand, involves not only understanding but also wanting to help relieve that pain.
Sympathy often carries a passive connotation; you might send a sympathy card to someone who has experienced a loss. Compassion implies a more active involvement in helping to relieve someone's suffering. For instance, someone compassionate might volunteer at a homeless shelter or help a friend in need.
From a grammatical standpoint, both "Sympathy" and "Compassion" are nouns that can also function as abstract nouns. They can be modified by adjectives ("deep sympathy," "genuine compassion") and used in various contexts. However, compassion often implies an action or behavior that follows the emotion, while sympathy might not.
It's important to note that sympathy doesn't necessarily involve an action component. You can feel sympathy for someone without doing anything to alleviate their condition. Compassion, however, nearly always implies a degree of action or involvement. One can argue that compassion is sympathy in action.
Comparison Chart
Meaning
Acknowledgment of another's suffering
Desire to alleviate another's suffering
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Connotation
More passive
More active
Grammatical Role
Noun, abstract noun
Noun, abstract noun
Action Component
Usually none
Often implies action
Modifiers
"Deep," "genuine"
"Active," "genuine"
Compare with Definitions
Sympathy
Understanding of another's emotional state.
I felt sympathy for her after her loss.
Compassion
Desire to help relieve another's suffering.
Her compassion led her to volunteer at the shelter.
Sympathy
Acknowledgment of someone's pain or hardship.
He expressed sympathy for the victims.
Compassion
Empathetic understanding followed by action.
His compassion was evident when he donated to charity.
Sympathy
Feeling of pity towards someone else.
His situation elicited much sympathy.
Compassion
Emotional response that gives rise to an active desire to alleviate suffering.
Their compassion led them to rescue animals.
Sympathy
Emotional support for someone in distress.
She offered her sympathy during tough times.
Compassion
Deep awareness of the suffering of another.
He felt compassion for the homeless man.
Sympathy
Identification with or vicarious experiencing of another's feelings.
He had sympathy for the challenging path she had walked.
Compassion
Sympathy with a proactive element.
Compassion drove her to help her sick neighbor.
Sympathy
Sympathy is the perception, understanding, and reaction to the distress or need of another life form. According to David Hume, this sympathetic concern is driven by a switch in viewpoint from a personal perspective to the perspective of another group or individual who is in need.
Compassion
Compassion motivates people to go out of their way to help the physical, mental, or emotional pains of another and themselves. Compassion is often regarded as having sensitivity, which is an emotional aspect to suffering.
Sympathy
A feeling of pity or sorrow for the distress of another; commiseration.
Compassion
Sympathetic pity and concern for the sufferings or misfortunes of others
The victims should be treated with compassion
Sympathy
Often sympathies An expression of such feeling
Offered her sympathies to the mourning family.
Compassion
Deep awareness of the suffering of another accompanied by the wish to relieve it.
Sympathy
Mutual understanding or feeling between people
"Like two frightened children, we sought at the same time to comfort one another, so quick was the sympathy between us" (Nicholas Meyer).
Compassion
Deep awareness of the suffering of another, coupled with the wish to relieve it.
Sympathy
Agreement with or support for an opinion or position
The mayor is in sympathy with the proposal.
Compassion
(obsolete) To pity.
Sympathy
Often sympathies A tendency to support a position or opinion
A politician of conservative sympathies.
Compassion
Literally, suffering with another; a sensation of sorrow excited by the distress or misfortunes of another; pity; commiseration.
Womanly ingenuity set to work by womanly compassion.
Sympathy
A relationship or affinity between things in which whatever affects one correspondingly affects the other
"Continuous measurements of ionospheric densities ... showed a variation of noon ionization in sympathy with sunspot activity" (E.V. Appelton).
Compassion
To pity.
Sympathy
(Physics) A relation between bodies such that vibrations in one body cause sympathetic vibrations in another.
Compassion
A deep awareness of and sympathy for another's suffering
Sympathy
(Physiology) A relation between parts or organs by which a disease or disorder in one induces an effect in the other.
Compassion
The humane quality of understanding the suffering of others and wanting to do something about it
Sympathy
A feeling of pity or sorrow for the suffering or distress of another.
Sympathy
(in plural) The formal expression of pity or sorrow for someone else's misfortune.
Sympathy
The ability to share the feelings of another.
Sympathy
Inclination to think or feel alike; emotional or intellectual accord; common feeling.
Sympathy
(in plural) Support in the form of shared feelings or opinions.
Sympathy
Feeling of loyalty; tendency towards, agreement with or approval of an opinion or aim; a favorable attitude.
Many people in Hollywood were blacklisted merely because they were suspected of Communist sympathies.
Sympathy
An affinity, association or mutual relationship between people or things such that they are correspondingly affected by any condition.
Sympathy
Mutual or parallel susceptibility or a condition brought about by it.
Sympathy
(art) Artistic harmony, as of shape or colour in a painting.
Sympathy
Feeling corresponding to that which another feels; the quality of being affected by the affection of another, with feelings correspondent in kind, if not in degree; fellow-feeling.
They saw, but other sight instead - a crowdOf ugly serpents! Horror on them fell,And horrid sympathy.
Sympathy
An agreement of affections or inclinations, or a conformity of natural temperament, which causes persons to be pleased, or in accord, with one another; as, there is perfect sympathy between them.
Sympathy
Kindness of feeling toward one who suffers; pity; commiseration; compassion.
I value myself upon sympathy, I hate and despise myself for envy.
Sympathy
The reciprocal influence exercised by organs or parts on one another, as shown in the effects of a diseased condition of one part on another part or organ, as in the vomiting produced by a tumor of the brain.
Sympathy
A tendency of inanimate things to unite, or to act on each other; as, the sympathy between the loadstone and iron.
Sympathy
Similarity of function, use office, or the like.
The adverb has most sympathy with the verb.
Fault,Acknowledged and deplored, in Adam wroughtCommiseration.
Sympathy
An inclination to support or be loyal to or to agree with an opinion;
His sympathies were always with the underdog
I knew I could count on his understanding
Sympathy
Sharing the feelings of others (especially feelings of sorrow or anguish)
Sympathy
A relation of affinity or harmony between people; whatever affects one correspondingly affects the other;
The two of them were in close sympathy
Common Curiosities
Is Sympathy Passive?
Sympathy is generally more passive, often involving emotional acknowledgment but not necessarily action.
What is Sympathy?
Sympathy is the understanding or acknowledgment of another person's emotional state or condition.
Can Sympathy lead to Compassion?
Yes, sympathy can often be a starting point that leads to the more active state of compassion.
What is Compassion?
Compassion is the empathetic understanding of another's suffering, coupled with a desire to alleviate it.
Are both Sympathy and Compassion Nouns?
Yes, both are nouns and can also function as abstract nouns.
What modifies Compassion in a sentence?
Words like "active" and "genuine" often modify compassion.
Can you "feel" both Sympathy and Compassion?
Yes, both can be experienced emotionally, but compassion usually leads to action.
Can Compassion be Exhausting?
Yes, compassion can sometimes lead to emotional or compassion fatigue.
Does Sympathy require Action?
Sympathy doesn't necessarily require action, though it can lead to it.
Is Compassion Active?
Compassion is typically more active, involving both understanding and a desire to take action.
What modifies Sympathy in a sentence?
Words like "deep" and "genuine" often modify sympathy.
Is Compassion the same as Empathy?
No, empathy involves feeling what another feels, while compassion involves understanding and a desire to help.
Does Compassion imply Responsibility?
Compassion often leads to a feeling of moral or ethical responsibility to help.
Is it better to show Sympathy or Compassion?
While both have their places, compassion is often viewed as more beneficial because it involves action.
Is Sympathy the same as Pity?
While sympathy can involve pity, it is generally a broader term.
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Written by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
Co-written by
Fiza RafiqueFiza Rafique is a skilled content writer at AskDifference.com, where she meticulously refines and enhances written pieces. Drawing from her vast editorial expertise, Fiza ensures clarity, accuracy, and precision in every article. Passionate about language, she continually seeks to elevate the quality of content for readers worldwide.
