fleeting love; transient feelings
Dated term for romantic feelings or affection that are temporary and not lasting. Often carries a poetic or melancholic tone.
The fleeting love vanished like spring's thin snow.
hint of kindness
Dated expression for a small, perhaps superficial or temporary, show of kindness. May imply the kindness is not deep or lasting.
I couldn't feel even a hint of kindness in his words.
wasted compassion
Dated term for compassion or sympathy that is ultimately futile or unappreciated, often with a sense of regret.
No matter how much I devoted myself, it only ended up as wasted compassion.
Standard kanji spelling for this dated term.
Alternate kanji spelling using 仇 (enemy/grudge), which can add a nuance of harmful or futile emotion.
Compound of 徒 (あだ, 'vain, fleeting') and 情け (なさけ, 'compassion, sympathy'). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the term is dated and primarily found in literary contexts.