commiserate
To express or feel sympathy for someone's misfortune
Examples
In a meeting
“After the project was cancelled, we commiserated over coffee about the wasted effort.”
Over coffee
“Let's commiserate about our terrible dating experiences.”
Why this word
sympathize
Commiserate implies sharing in someone's suffering or disappointment, often expressing mutual misery, while sympathize suggests feeling concern for someone from a more external position
console
Commiserate emphasizes sharing in the misfortune or expressing mutual understanding of hardship, while console focuses on providing comfort to ease someone's grief or distress
empathize
Commiserate specifically involves expressing shared sorrow or disappointment about a negative situation, while empathize is broader and refers to understanding any emotion, positive or negative
Usage tip
Use when discussing shared suffering or mutual consolation. Implies both parties relate to the difficulty, not just one-sided sympathy.
Etymology
Latin 'commiserari' from 'com-' (together) + 'miserari' (to pity)
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Anxious or worried about something that may happen in the future
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To make someone less angry or hostile through appeasement
demoralize
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