commiserate

American  

[kuh-miz-uh-reyt] / kəˈmɪz əˌreɪt /

verb (used without object)

• commiserates,
  present (3rd person singular)
• commiserated,
  past participle,  past
• commiserating
  present participle

1. to sympathize (usually followed bywith ).

   They commiserated with him over the loss of his job.

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verb (used with object)

• commiserates,
  present (3rd person singular)
• commiserated,
  past participle,  past
• commiserating
  present participle

1. to feel or express sorrow or sympathy for; empathize with; pity.

commiserate British  

/ kəˈmɪzəˌreɪt /

verb

1. to feel or express sympathy or compassion (for)

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• commiseration
  noun
• commiserator
  noun
• commiserable
  adjective
• commiserative
  adjective
• noncommiserative
  adjective
• uncommiserated
  adjective
• uncommiserating
  adjective
• uncommiserative
  adjective
• commiseratively
  adverb
• noncommiseratively
  adverb
• uncommiseratively
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Participles

• commiserating
  present
• commiserated
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• commiserate
  simple
• commiserates
  simple
• have commiserated
  perfect
• has commiserated
  perfect
• am commiserating
  progressive
• are commiserating
  progressive
• is commiserating
  progressive
• have been commiserating
  perfect progressive
• has been commiserating
  perfect progressive

Past

• commiserated
  simple
• had commiserated
  perfect
• was commiserating
  progressive
• were commiserating
  progressive
• had been commiserating
  perfect progressive

Future

• will commiserate
  simple
• will have commiserated
  perfect
• will be commiserating
  progressive
• will have been commiserating
  perfect progressive

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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

commiserate commiserates commiserated commiserating

If you’re standing in line together, you can chat about the wait and commiserate.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 3, 2026

As people commiserate online, some have shared plans to travel to neighbouring Malaysia to catch Dear You in Teochew.

From BBC ● Jun. 25, 2026

When Bill Ackman vented over $2 million, fellow billionaires rushed to commiserate.

From MarketWatch ● Apr. 10, 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

That night, before going back on shift, Letby exchanges texts with a colleague who commiserates, saying "you seem to be having some very bad luck".

From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2023

This mysterious figure commiserates with the Riddler about the plight of would-be criminal masterminds like them: “One day you’re on top, the next you’re a clown.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 4, 2022

It commiserates about the water bill and shoots the breeze.

From Seattle Times ● Jan. 1, 2022

Biden was only 10 when his father, in search of a steady job, moved the family to Delaware, a wrenching decision that Biden often cites as he commiserates with the choices facing middle-class workers.

From Washington Post ● Aug. 20, 2020

“I know. I miss my friends from camp so much too,” Emily commiserates.

From "Amina's Song" by Hena Khan

Carmen Schober, the profile’s author, ignored the way members of Schmidt’s online forum, Skinni Société, commiserated about their hair loss and inability to stand without getting dizzy.

From Salon ● Aug. 5, 2026

They commiserated in the Facebook group and sought advice on Reddit about how to replicate the flavor.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 3, 2026

And they commiserated about life in space, and how ISS missions -- all three of the American Artemis astronauts had previously served on the ISS -- had prepared them for their historic lunar voyage.

From Barron's ● Apr. 7, 2026

Nigeria's President Bola Tinubu described the incident as unfortunate and commiserated with families of the deceased victims.

From BBC ● Sep. 18, 2025

“I gathered that you ‘ran up against’ Chadwick while in Europe,” commiserated Ernest Pollard of Yale, who had received his doctorate under Chadwick the year before.

From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik

“Oh, Hi!” writer-director Sophie Brooks and Gordon are longtime friends who found themselves both back in their parents’ houses during the early stages of the pandemic and commiserating on relationship troubles and uncommunicative exes.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 2025

There was no celebrating in the clubhouse Sunday, but there was no commiserating either.

From Seattle Times ● Apr. 28, 2024

I talk to some people who—we do money commiserating and they’re like, “But you have a house.”

From Slate ● Feb. 3, 2024

After the match we walked through the streets of Barcelona back to our hotel with Sir Bobby congratulating every Italian who recognised him and commiserating with Brazilians in their hour of despair.

From BBC ● Oct. 23, 2023

Blanca and I were walking back from the subway after our night classes at Hunter, commiserating about how much work we both had.

From "Bodega Dreams" by Ernesto Quinonez

Related Words

• sympathize