commiserate
Americanverb (used without object)
verb (used with object)
verb
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of commiserate
First recorded in 1585–95; from Latin commiserātus (past participle of commiserārī ), equivalent to com- com- + miser “pitiable” ( see misery) + -ātus -ate 1
Explanation
When you commiserate with your buddies, you're sharing your lousy feelings. People who commiserate have the same negative feelings about something. Take a look at how commiserate is built: it's from Latin "com-," which means "together with," and miserārī, "to pity." Put them together, and you get "to pity one another, commiserate." When you commiserate, you and your fellow commiserators talk about how badly you're all feeling. After the layoffs, we all went to the bar to commiserate.
Vocabulary lists containing commiserate
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
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Their Eyes Were Watching God
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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.
When Bill Ackman vented over $2 million, fellow billionaires rushed to commiserate.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 10, 2026
A smattering of local Facebook groups against data centers, where members can chat and commiserate, have garnered thousands of community members in just a few months.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 8, 2026
Brandt, a former elected member of East Hampshire District Council, claimed he wanted to commiserate with her over her failed leadership bid.
From BBC • Jan. 16, 2026
While a dejected England leave for home well beaten and under mounting pressure, Smith told TNT Sports he planned to have "a jar" with counterpart Stokes and commiserate.
From Barron's • Jan. 8, 2026
We snuck into each other’s rooms by night to trade secrets, argue, commiserate, spy, and continue chess games and monopoly games that had begun days earlier.
From "The Color of Water: A Black Man's Tribute to His White Mother" by James McBride
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.
