compensate
gb/kˈɑmpənsˌeɪt/ us/kˈɑmpənsˌeɪt/
B1
English
~ 4700
Senses
0 senses
Verb
B1
action
1
Pay or give for loss or work
To give money or something else to someone because they lost something, were hurt, or did work.
Usage pattern:
to compensate [someone] for [something]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'compensate' with 'reward'. 'Reward' is for good performance or achievement; 'compensate' is for loss, damage, or work done.
Synonyms
reimburse (Implies paying back expenses that were already paid by the person.)
|
pay (A broader and more casual term that can include wages or fees.)
Antonyms
deprive (Means to take away something needed or deserved, the opposite of giving for loss.)
Collocations
financially compensate
|compensate victims
|compensate employees
|compensate for damages
Themes
business
|law
|daily life
|finance
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The company will compensate you for the travel costs.
- She was compensated for the injuries she suffered in the accident.
- We must fairly compensate all employees for their overtime work.
Learner examples
- The store will compensate me for the broken item.
- He was compensated for his lost bag.
- They compensated the workers for the extra hours.
Verb
B2
action
2
Counterbalance a disadvantage
To make a bad thing less bad by adding something good.
Usage pattern:
to compensate for [something]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use 'compensate' without 'for' in this sense; 'for' is needed when talking about what is being balanced.
Synonyms
offset (More technical or neutral term often used in finance or mechanics.)
|
counterbalance (Emphasizes balancing two opposing effects.)
Antonyms
exacerbate (Means to make a bad situation worse, the opposite of reducing its effect.)
Collocations
compensate for weakness
|compensate for loss
|compensate for delay
Themes
daily life
|psychology
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- Extra training can help compensate for a lack of experience.
- She wore high heels to compensate for her short height.
- The new software compensates for minor errors in data entry.
Learner examples
- I drink coffee to compensate for my lack of sleep.
- He works hard to compensate for his mistakes.
- They planted trees to compensate for the loss of forest.
Grammar
Dictionary form
compensate
IPA
GB/kˈɑmpənsˌeɪt/
US/kˈɑmpənsˌeɪt/
Syllables & stress
com - pensate (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (com)
Word forms
Verb
- Base: compensate
- 3rd Person Singular: compensates
- Present Participle: compensating
- Past: compensated
Word family
Forms
compensates
verb
compensating
verb
compensated
verb
Core family
compensation
noun B1
Related words
overcompensate
verb
Negative and opposite forms
uncompensated
adjective
Advanced or less common
compensatory
adjective
Expressions
be compensated for
1/bˈi kˈɑmpənsˌeɪtɪd fɚ/
fixed phrase
Receive payment for loss or harm
To get money or another benefit because of harm, loss, or work.
Examples
- You will be compensated for your time and effort.
- The victims were compensated for their injuries.
compensate for
1/kˈɑmpənsˌeɪt fɚ/
fixed phrase
Make up for a lack or problem
To do something to reduce the bad effect of a problem or lack.
Examples
- He studies extra hours to compensate for missing classes.
- The bright curtains compensate for the room's lack of sunlight.