commiserate

American

[kuh-miz-uh-reyt] / kəˈmɪz əˌreɪt /

verb (used without object)

commiserated, commiserating

to sympathize (usually followed bywith ).

They commiserated with him over the loss of his job.

verb (used with object)

commiserated, commiserating

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

commiserate British

/ kəˈmɪzəˌreɪt /

verb

to feel or express sympathy or compassion (for)

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023