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

Etymology

Origin of consoling

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

Vocabulary lists containing consoling

Umberto Eco (1932-2016) Tribute List

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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.

Phil Foden's World Cup audition ended painfully with the consoling arm of England head coach Thomas Tuchel around his shoulder.

From BBC • Mar. 27, 2026

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

Maybe then my skin would absorb the sea’s consoling silence.

From "Dreaming in Cuban" by Cristina García

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