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📕 rednote ID(小红书号)：3881567312

Compensate: Meaning, Examples, and Usage Guide (2 meaning)

Meaning 1：pay back for loss (compensate)

compensate 🔊

/ˈkɑːmpənseɪt/

To pay someone money because they have suffered a loss, injury, or because of something you did wrong.

Compensate for loss: person holding check near damaged laptop

pay back for loss 🔊

➕

/peɪ bæk fɔːr lɒs/

To give money or something of value to someone to make up for a damage, injury, or inconvenience they have suffered.

📁 Category：Social Economy 🔖 Level：Intermediate

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

From Latin 'compensare' (com- + pensare): to balance or offset.

💡 Mnemonic

Com + pens (weight) = balance scales; compensate means to make things even.

📖 Example

The airline promised to compensate all passengers for the 10-hour flight delay with travel vouchers. 🔊 The airline promised to compensate all passengers for the 10-hour flight delay with travel vouchers.

🔗 Collocations

compensate someone for something – to pay someone for a specific loss or damage

compensate for a loss – to make up for a financial or material loss

compensate with money – to use monetary payment as compensation

🔄 Synonyms

reimburse (v.) – To pay back money spent or lost by someone.

indemnify (v.) – To protect or compensate someone against loss or damage, often by a formal agreement.

recompense (v.) – To make amends to someone for loss or harm suffered.

🚫 Antonyms

deprive (v.) – To take something away from someone, leaving them without it.

penalize (v.) – To impose a penalty or disadvantage on someone.

forfeit (v.) – To lose or give up something as a penalty for a fault or mistake.

🌱 Derivatives

compensation (n.) – Something given to make up for a loss or injury.

compensatory (adj.) – Intended to compensate or make up for something.

compensator (n.) – A person or thing that compensates.

📖 Cultural Story

From Latin 'compensare', used in ancient Rome for weighing gold to settle debts. Now common in legal and business for financial reparation.

Meaning 2：make up for (compensate)

compensate 🔊

/ˈkɑːmpənseɪt/

To reduce the bad effect of something by providing something good. To make up for a weakness.

Compensate meaning: scale balancing candy and vegetables

make up for 🔊

➕

/meɪk ʌp fɔːr/

To offset or counterbalance a negative effect or deficiency by providing something positive.

📁 Category：Behaviors & Actions 🔖 Level：Intermediate

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Example

His lack of experience is compensated for by his incredible enthusiasm and willingness to learn. 🔊 His lack of experience is compensated for by his incredible enthusiasm and willingness to learn.

🔗 Collocations

compensate for a weakness – to offset a deficiency with a strength

compensate with skill – to use skill to make up for a lack in another area

compensate by working harder – to make up for a shortcoming through increased effort

🔄 Synonyms

offset (v.) – To counterbalance or compensate for something, so that the net effect is neutral.

counteract (v.) – To act against something to reduce its effect or neutralize it.

balance (v.) – To bring into equilibrium; to offset one thing with another.

🚫 Antonyms

worsen (v.) – To make something worse or more severe.

aggravate (v.) – To make a problem, injury, or offense more serious.

undermine (v.) – To weaken or damage something gradually or insidiously.

🌱 Derivatives

compensation (n.) – The act of compensating or the state of being compensated; something that offsets a deficiency.

compensatory (adj.) – Serving to compensate or make up for something.

compensator (n.) – A person or mechanism that provides compensation.