commiseration

American  

[kuh-miz-uh-rey-shuhn] / kəˌmɪz əˈreɪ ʃən /

noun

1. the act of empathizing, or expressing sympathy or sorrow for someone about something.

   Taking the seat next to him, she put her arm around his shoulders in silent commiseration.

2. commiserations, an expression of sympathy or sorrow for someone.

   All my thanks and commiserations to the dedicated staff, many of whom I expect will lose their jobs in the cutbacks.

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Other Word Forms

• noncommiseration noun

Etymology

Origin of commiseration

First recorded in 1570–80; commiserat(e) ( def. ) + -ion ( def. )

Explanation

Commiseration refers to feelings of sympathy for other people. If a friend's pet dies, you will probably want to express your commiseration. If you are feeling commiseration for someone, they are probably going through difficult times. We feel commiseration when others suffer or feel pain and we understand that pain. We commiserate with them. The Latin root com- means "together with." Just as communication and community are words involving getting people together, commiseration is about feeling other people's pain.

Example Sentences

But commiseration and understanding aren’t enough, and real psychological help isn’t something to be found in a subreddit.

From Slate • Aug. 21, 2024

Even among more put-together attendees, private Slack channels were reportedly awash in commiseration.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 13, 2023

She seeks commiseration but doesn’t realize how off-putting her comments can be.

From Washington Post • May 1, 2022

His heartfelt words demonstrated a sincere level of commiseration with his audience, and his subsequent conversation with Regis Philbin was viewed as his way of giving people permission to laugh again.

From Salon • Sep. 11, 2021

He expected his story to dovetail into milkwarm commiseration, but before Nel could excrete it, Sula said she didn’t know about that—it looked like a pretty good life to her.

From "Sula" by Toni Morrison