solace
Americannoun
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comfort in sorrow, misfortune, or trouble; alleviation of distress or discomfort.
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something that gives comfort, consolation, or relief.
The minister's visit was the dying man's only solace.
verb (used with object)
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to comfort, console, or cheer (a person, oneself, the heart, etc.).
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to alleviate or relieve (sorrow, distress, etc.).
noun
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comfort in misery, disappointment, etc
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something that gives comfort or consolation
verb
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to give comfort or cheer to (a person) in time of sorrow, distress, etc
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to alleviate (sorrow, misery, etc)
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Conjugated Forms
Present
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has solacedperfect 3rd person singular
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have solacedperfect
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are solacingprogressive
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has been solacingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
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have been solacingperfect progressive
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is solacingprogressive 3rd person singular
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solacessingular 3rd person
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am solacingprogressive 1st person singular
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solacingparticiple
Past
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had solacedperfect
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solacedparticiple
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was solacingprogressive singular
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had been solacingperfect progressive
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solacedsimple
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were solacingprogressive plural
Future
Etymology
Origin of solace
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English solas, from Old French, from Latin sōlācium, equivalent to sōl (ārī) “to comfort” + -āc- adjective suffix + -ium -ium
Explanation
If something eases your disappointment or grief, consider it a solace. If you're sad, you might find solace in music or in talking to your friends. It is no surprise that consolation and solace are similar in meaning as they share a root in the Latin verb sōlārī, "to comfort." In fact, solace and consolation are synonyms meaning "relief from grief or disappointment." When you go to sleepaway camp, your parents will miss you, but they'll find solace in knowing that you are having fun.
Vocabulary lists containing solace
The Giver
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A Spelling Bee for Fun
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NAEP Test Words
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
It could provide solace if it comes in weaker than expected, or be a scourge if it continues to heat up.
From Barron's • Jun. 5, 2026
So if Musk is mad about this, he can at least take solace in the fact that the S&P’s rules should also keep his mortal enemy Sam Altman’s company ineligible.
From Slate • Jun. 5, 2026
She finds solace painting in a spare bedroom she turned into a studio, but knows she will eventually have to move to a smaller place that’s easier to get around in.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 31, 2026
"This choir, I know, has given you solace and joy and comfort and friendship, and all of that has created the most amazing music," she added.
From BBC • May 24, 2026
This fact gave him no solace, for he saw immediately that the same phenomenon that had diminished nearly every one of his works—Central Park, Biltmore, the world’s fair, and so many others—had occurred yet again.
From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
