NIMCET 2007 — English PYQ

The correct option is (a) sympathetic.

Detailed Solution

To identify the correct synonym for Compassionate, let us look at the definitions and logical connections of the words:

• Compassionate: Feeling or showing sympathy and concern for others who are suffering or going through difficult situations.

  $$\text{Compassionate}\equiv \text{Kind-hearted}\equiv \text{Empathetic}$$

Let us analyze the given options:

• (a) sympathetic: Exhibiting, feeling, or resulting from sympathy; showing care and understanding for someone else's suffering. This directly matches the definition of being compassionate.

• (b) thoughful: (Spelled as thoughtful in standard text) Showing consideration for the needs of other people, or showing careful thought. While positive, it does not explicitly mean sharing the emotional pain of someone else the way compassionate does.

• (c) benign: Gentle, kindly, or harmless (often used in medical contexts to describe a non-cancerous tumor). Though it denotes kindness, it describes a disposition or state rather than active emotional empathy.

• (d) malignant: Malevolent, harmful, or infectious (often used to describe a cancerous growth). This is a strong antonym to kindness or compassion.

Conclusion

$$\text{Compassionate}\approx \text{sympathetic}$$