commiserate

play

verb com·mis·er·ate \kə-ˈmi-zə-ˌrāt\

Definition of commiserate

commiserated

;

commiserating

intransitive verb
: to feel or express sympathy : condole commiserates with them on their loss
transitive verb
: to feel or express sorrow or compassion for

commiseratingly

adverb

commiseration

play \kə-ˌmi-zə-ˈrā-shən\ noun

commiserative

play \kə-ˈmi-zə-ˌrā-tiv\ adjective

See commiserate defined for English-language learners

See commiserate defined for kids

Examples of commiserate in a Sentence

“Did you enjoy your breakfast?” “The eggs were runny.” “I know.” The woman commiserated. “I was thinking, I should just have barged into the kitchen and done them myself.” —Alice Munro, Runaway, (2004) 2005
The other potters seemed to slump as one into dejection, all but abandoning their work in favor of long, lugubrious visits to the wine shop, where they commiserated with one another. —Linda Sue Park, A Single Shard, (2001) 2003
“I been readin' about it,” she said, referring to the recent breakup of my marriage. … “It's too bad,” she commiserated. —Arthur Miller, Timebends, 1987
The pain of losing is diverting. So is the thrill of winning. Winning, however, is lonelier, because those you've taken money from are not apt to commiserate with you. —David Mamet, New York Times Magazine, 20 Apr. 1986
The players commiserated over their loss in the championship game.

Recent Examples of commiserate from the Web

In the past year, I have been asked many times to reflect and comment and commiserate on the state of our country.

— vernon e. jordan, The New Yorker, "A Celebration of Black Lawyers, Past and Present", 7 June 2017
On the group’s Facebook page, former members commiserate over their inability to get their kids involved.

— ben brazil, Daily Pilot, "Once-burgeoning Tall Club is running short on membership", 25 May 2017
Both women were attending a Summit Series conference, an event bringing activists, artists, engineers, entrepreneurs, and more pioneers together to commiserate over ideas, strategy, and goals for the future.

— maggie mallon, Glamour, "These Two Entrepreneurs Want Every Woman to Have Access to the Tools She Needs to Build a Business", 15 May 2017
Our current favorites: #SouthernProblems: Perfect for co-commiserating about hot summers, un-sweet tea, and Chick-Fil-A being closed on Sundays. #

— Southern Living, "Hilarious Southern Hashtags You Need to Get In On", 1 May 2017
The women commiserate over their lousy demises and each recounts her plunge into love with the wrong wooing man.

— lisa kennedy, The Know, "Review: Exquisite corpses tell all in “The Drowning Girls” at Arvada Center", 14 Apr. 2017
In a 45-minute telephone call Thursday evening between Mr. Trump and Mr. Ryan, the two commiserated over the demands of the caucus and strategized over the prospects for a vote on Friday.

— julie hirschfeld davis and maggie haberman, New York Times, "In Dropping Health Vote, Trump Swallowed Need for a Showdown", 24 Mar. 2017
Sure, it’s packed with non-female-friendship relationships—and dudes—but at its core are its two female stars, commiserating about life, drinking, sex, and pubes.

— laura bradley, VanityFair.com, "8 Galentine’s Day Films You Can Stream Right Now", 13 Feb. 2017
Sure, it’s packed with non-female-friendship relationships—and dudes—but at its core are its two female stars, commiserating about life, drinking, sex, and pubes.

— vanityfair.com, VanityFair.com, "8 Galentine’s Day Films You Can Stream Right Now", 13 Feb. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'commiserate'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.