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console

¹ American  

[kuhn-sohl] / kənˈsoʊl /

verb (used with object)

• consoles,
  present (3rd person singular)
• consoled,
  past participle,  past
• consoling
  present participle

1. 

   to alleviate or lessen the grief, sorrow, or disappointment of; give solace or comfort.

   Even his children could not console him when his wife died.

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console ² American  

[kon-sohl] / ˈkɒn soʊl /

noun

• consoles
  plural

1. Also called video game console, game(s) console, gaming console. a computer system specially made for playing video games by connecting it to a television or other display for video and sound.

2. the control or monitoring unit of a computer, containing the keyboard or keys, switches, etc.

3. a television, phonograph, or radio cabinet designed to stand on the floor rather than on a table or shelf.

4. a desklike structure containing the keyboards, pedals, etc., by means of which an organ is played.

5. a small cabinet standing on the floor and having doors.

6. console table.

7. the control unit of a mechanical, electrical, or electronic system.

   the console that controls a theater's lighting system.

8. Architecture. an ornamental corbel or bracket, especially one high in relation to its projection.

9. Automotive. a tray or container typically divided into compartments, mounted between bucket seats, and used for storing small items.

10. Nautical. a unit on a vessel containing steering apparatus, systems monitoring equipment, etc..

    a bridge console, an engine-room console.

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console ¹ British  

/ ˈkɒnsəʊl /

noun

1. an ornamental bracket, esp one used to support a wall fixture, bust, etc

2. the part of an organ comprising the manuals, pedals, stops, etc

3. a unit on which the controls of an electronic system are mounted

4. same as games console

5. a cabinet for a television, gramophone, etc, designed to stand on the floor

6. See console table

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console ² British  

/ kənˈsəʊl /

verb

1. to serve as a source of comfort to (someone) in disappointment, loss, sadness, etc

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Synonym Usage

See comfort.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• consoler
  noun
• consolable
  adjective
• inconsolable
  adjective
• unconsolable
  adjective
• unconsoled
  adjective
• consolingly
  adverb
• unconsolably
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• consoles
  plural

Participles

• consoling
  present
• consoled
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• console
  simple
• consoles
  simple
• have consoled
  perfect
• has consoled
  perfect
• am consoling
  progressive
• are consoling
  progressive
• is consoling
  progressive
• have been consoling
  perfect progressive
• has been consoling
  perfect progressive

Past

• consoled
  simple
• had consoled
  perfect
• was consoling
  progressive
• were consoling
  progressive
• had been consoling
  perfect progressive

Future

• will console
  simple
• will have consoled
  perfect
• will be consoling
  progressive
• will have been consoling
  perfect progressive

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Etymology

Origin of console¹

First recorded in 1685–95; either from French consoler or directly from Latin consōlārī, equivalent to con- con- + sōlārī “to soothe” ( see solace); perhaps akin to Old English sǣl “happiness” ( see seely)

Origin of console²

First recorded in 1700–10; from French; Middle French consolle “bracket, support,” apparently shortening of consolateur (attested in Middle French with same sense), literally, “one who consoles” (from Late Latin consōlātor; see console ¹ , -ator ), perhaps because such supports served as rests in choir stalls, etc.; cf. misericord

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Explanation

Perhaps you avoid babysitting your baby brother because you're worried that if he starts to cry, you won’t be able to console him or make him feel better. Or maybe you just hate changing diapers. You usually try to console someone by providing encouragement and offering solace. Others try to console themselves with tubs of ice cream. From the Latin word consolari, meaning “to comfort,” the noun console can also describe a central control panel. In an automobile, the controls for both the radio and air-conditioning are in the same center console.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

console consoles consoled consoling

A pair of deep seats covered in nubby upholstery sit close to this sacred space’s altar — a vinyl-stacked media console holding a vintage receiver and turntable, flanked by two ATC SCM50 loudspeakers.

From Salon ● Oct. 24, 2026

Powered by Nintendo's Switch 2 console, the remake features far richer environments, upgraded textures and more detailed character models.

From Barron's ● Oct. 15, 2026

The apparent goal is to draw players back to the brand, but critics have questioned whether that's realistic at a time when console prices are higher than ever.

From BBC ● Oct. 7, 2026

Anyone with a console can watch it, which enticed the comedian.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026

I went inside the blockhouse and knelt behind the wooden console Sherman and O’Dell had built.

From "October Sky" by Homer Hickam

The resulting shortage has pushed up prices for laptops, gaming consoles and smartphones -- a squeeze that risks weighing on consumer demand for the devices that use Intel's chips.

From Barron's ● Oct. 30, 2026

From these consoles, teams monitored weather and wind conditions, and issued the all-important “go” if things were right, or “no go” if changes needed to be made.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 28, 2026

It's seen as a third-place competitor, behind both Sony's PlayStation and Nintendo's Switch consoles.

From BBC ● Oct. 7, 2026

Creators will then be able to distribute their games as standalone apps on mobile, PC, and consoles; an offline mode is also planned.

From Barron's ● Sep. 11, 2026

The bed was gone, the dresser gone, the desk and books and game consoles.

From "We Are the Ants" by Shaun David Hutchinson

“It has been subject to increasingly aggressive change. When I was younger, it was sad for me to witness. I was consoled because Vlore was not the center, but then they started attacking here too.”

From Slate ● Sep. 8, 2026

"The victim should be consoled at this time, not cursed," one of them read.

From BBC ● Sep. 8, 2026

Some have apologized for the affront and consoled customers, helping them move through the stages of grief to acceptance.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 4, 2026

Lang appeared to be in agony and he was consoled by Liverpool's Alisson Becker and Virgil van Dijk as he was attended to by medical staff.

From BBC ● Mar. 19, 2026

It was Mala who consoled me when, reading the Globe one evening, I came across Mrs. Croft's obituary.

From "Interpreter of Maladies" by Jhumpa Lahiri

Days after Kirk’s death, Marx posted photos of himself consoling Kirk’s widow, Erika; he announced he was considering a run for governor at a memorial service for Kirk.

From Slate ● Jun. 29, 2026

Viewers have been circulating clips of Wilson reaching for Batula’s hands in one scene and consoling her in the bathroom as she cried in another.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 3, 2026

Soprano Hilary Cronin was a dazzling, lyrical Iole, her precisely calibrated da capo arias capturing the princess’s serene acceptance of her lot and her consoling, thoughtful presence—the antithesis of the disturbed Dejanira.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 18, 2026

"As far as I remember the defendant was upset and a lot of people were giving him hugs and consoling him."

From BBC ● Mar. 4, 2026

Alba would come running to embrace her with consoling whispers, since they both knew from long experience that the only cure for asthma is the prolonged embrace of a loved one.

From "The House of the Spirits: A Novel" by Isabel Allende

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Related Words

• assuage
• soothe

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