Synonyms

consoling

American

[kuhn-soh-ling] / kənˈsoʊ lɪŋ /

adjective

alleviating or lessening grief, sorrow, or disappointment; giving comfort.

He gave his companion a consoling clap on the shoulder.
The consoling power of the book arises not so much from the humor as from the detail with which the author renders his world.

Other Word Forms

consolingly adverb
nonconsoling adjective
nonconsolingly adverb
self-consoling adjective
unconsoling adjective
unconsolingly adverb

Etymology

Origin of consoling

consol(e) ¹ ( def. ) + -ing ² ( def. )

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.

I’m a big Fantasy Football person, so Monday morning is normally consoling myself with how badly Sunday has gone.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 2, 2026

He claimed that he began consoling a crying Minaj, only for her to start yelling at him.

From MarketWatch • Dec. 1, 2025

Our episode didn’t capture scenes of us consoling the oldest when his night terrors returned or taking calls from school on shoot days when the youngest begged to come home.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 10, 2025

This final turn is less consoling or condemnatory than darkly revealing about our assumptions about Michaela, who's portrayed as a controlling fury for most of the story.

From Salon • Jun. 5, 2025

At some point, Tia Callida—Hera herself—had talked with Sammy, consoling him and giving him a glimpse into the future, which meant that Hera had been shaping Leo’s life generations before he was even born.

From "The Mark of Athena" by Rick Riordan

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