commiserate

American  

[kuh-miz-uh-rayt] / 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

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

It needs to be said that Green’s approach differs from those articles that regularly appear asking us to commiserate with families earning $400,000 or $500,000 because they can’t make ends meet.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 10, 2025

Old female relations with incipient beards and several wobbling chins made overnight trips to Ayemenem to commiserate with her about her divorce.

From "The God of Small Things" by Arundhati Roy

Even if your husband commiserates with you, I wouldn’t assume that he is as bothered by his brother’s actions as you are.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 17, 2026

A “man of two minds,” he commiserates with his foes as easily as he deceives his friends.

From New York Times ● Oct. 3, 2023

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

In the middle of “The Mirror Crack’d From Side to Side,” Jane Marple commiserates with one of her friends about all the changes that have come to their beloved village, St. Mary Mead.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 22, 2022

When I relate this to Caroline on the phone, she commiserates, “Ugh, a no-brainer. ”

From "Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America" by Barbara Ehrenreich

Hijazi vented to Gowan, who commiserated from vacation in Canada.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 5, 2026

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

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

“Ah rather be shot with tacks than tuh hear dat ’bout mah- self,” Lige Moss commiserated.

From "Their Eyes Were Watching God" by Zora Neale Hurston

His post was flooded with comments, including people commiserating and asking him to advocate on the issue.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 25, 2026

“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

Instead, it offers a relaxed conversation, commiserating over a dish that didn’t turn out as planned or celebrating one that exceeded expectations.

From Salon ● Jan. 7, 2025

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

From Seattle Times ● Apr. 28, 2024

“He was a world of trouble to you, ma’am,” said Mrs. Hubble, commiserating my sister.

From "Great Expectations" by Charles Dickens

Related Words

• sympathize