commiserate
Americanverb (used without object)
verb (used with object)
verb
Other Word Forms
- commiserable adjective
- commiseration noun
- commiserative adjective
- commiseratively adverb
- commiserator noun
- noncommiserative adjective
- noncommiseratively adverb
- uncommiserated adjective
- uncommiserating adjective
- uncommiserative adjective
- uncommiseratively adverb
Etymology
Origin of commiserate
First recorded in 1585–95; from Latin commiserātus (past participle of commiserārī ), equivalent to com- com- + miser “pitiable” ( 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
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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
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
Their goodwill is awkward, as it must be when an in-group member tries to commiserate with “the other,” but it is, nonetheless, sympathy, which is to say concern.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 21, 2025
Explaining why he wanted to meet Dame Penny, the former elected member of East Hampshire District Council said he wanted to commiserate with her over her leadership bid.
From BBC • Nov. 14, 2025
I can, however, commiserate with them on the situations they were forced to endure.
From "The Freedom Writers Diary" by The Freedom Writers
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.
