compensated
/ˈkɒm.pən.seɪt/ (bre, ipa) · [kˈɑmpənsˌetəd] /ˈkɑːm.pən.seɪt/ (ame, ipa) · [kˈɑmpənsˌetəd] /ˈkäm-pən-ˌsāt -ˌpen-/ (ame, mw)
compensated — verb
- compensatedpresent simple I / you / we / they
- compensateds3rd person singular
- compensateding-ing form
- compensatededpast simple
1. to give a payment to a person whose belongings were harmed or taken away, or who
to give a payment to a person whose belongings were harmed or taken away, or who suffered an injury or a setback.
The airline compensated Mei-Lin for her lost luggage by giving her a voucher.
compensate + person + for + loss
After the storm damaged their roof, the family was compensated by their insurance company.
passive: be compensated by [insurer]
Olu received a settlement that compensated him for the injuries he suffered in the accident.
The government set up a fund to compensate farmers whose crops the drought destroyed.
Fatima was fully compensated for all the medical bills after the surgery mistake.
- reimburse
more specific — means paying back money someone has already spent; less common for injury or non-financial loss
- repay
general sense of giving money back; does not carry the insurance/legal tone of compensate
- indemnify
formal legal term meaning to protect someone against future loss or to pay for loss already suffered
- damage
to cause injury or loss, which is the opposite of providing payment for it
文法句型
compensate + person + for + loss/damage/problem
be compensated for + loss/damage
用法筆記
Often used in the passive voice because the focus is on the person receiving the payment rather than the one making it. The preposition 'for' introduces the reason (loss, damage, injury). This sense is common in legal, insurance, and consumer contexts.
常見錯誤
2. to give an amount of money to someone for the job, work, or service they have do
to give an amount of money to someone for the job, work, or service they have done.
Diego was compensated for the extra hours he worked on the weekend project.
passive: be compensated for extra work
The company compensates its employees well, offering both a high salary and annual bonuses.
compensates + person + adverb (well)
Yuki worked as a freelance designer and was compensated for each completed project.
The volunteers were not compensated for their time, but they received free meals and transport.
Amina negotiated a contract that compensated her fairly for all consulting services.
- pay
more general and common; compensate is more formal and often implies a fair or contractual arrangement
- remunerate
formal term used in business and legal contexts for paying someone for work or services
- reward
suggests extra payment for good performance, not just the agreed amount
文法句型
compensate + person + for + work/service/time
be compensated for + work
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 1 (PAY FOR LOSS OR DAMAGE) where the payment is for something unwanted that happened. In this sense, the payment is in exchange for work or effort voluntarily given. Common in employment, freelance, and contract contexts. Often used with adverbs like 'well', 'fairly', 'poorly'.
常見錯誤
3. to do something positive or give something useful that lessens the impact of a b
to do something positive or give something useful that lessens the impact of a bad situation, a shortcoming, a mistake, or a disappointment.
The restaurant's excellent service compensated for the long wait for a table.
compensate for + [negative] (subject is a strength that balances a weakness)
Haruto is not very tall, but his speed on the court compensates for his height.
A warm and friendly atmosphere in the office compensates for the low salaries.
Wei tried to compensate for missing his daughter's birthday by planning a trip the next weekend.
Sofia's lack of experience was compensated by her strong willingness to learn new skills.
- make up for
less formal and more common in everyday speech; means the same as compensate in this sense
- offset
more formal, often used in business, finance, or technical contexts to mean balance out
- counterbalance
emphasises the idea of two forces balancing each other; slightly more formal
- worsen
to make a bad situation even worse, the opposite of balancing it
文法句型
compensate for + disadvantage/lack/mistake
compensate + person + for + something missing
用法筆記
Unlike senses 1 and 2, this sense does NOT involve money. The thing that compensates can be any positive quality, action, or feature that offsets a negative one. The pattern 'compensate for' is almost always used; 'compensated by' appears in passive constructions.