as in comforting
the giving of hope and strength in times of grief, distress, or suffering
the responsibility for the consoling of the families of the firefighters fell to the mayor
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
as in assuring
to ease the grief or distress of
the military officer who must console the bereaved at a soldier's funeral
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in reassuring
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of consoling
Daniel Immerwahr, New Yorker, 18 Aug. 2025
Judith Martin, Mercury News, 25 Sep. 2025
Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images After UConn lost the 2022 NCAA title game, Bird joined other program greats in consoling the Huskies and emphasized that heartbreak is part of every champion's journey.
—MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Aug. 2025
Montgomery suffered a season-ending injury on Sunday, announcing the news of his impending surgery by posting a picture of Sonic consoling a crying Knuckles on his Instagram story.
—Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 18 Dec. 2024
Ian, revved up by the camogie carnage and fresh off consoling Eva (eye emojis x2), takes it upon himself to tell Angelica in no uncertain terms to back off the Garvey sisters.
—Caroline Framke, Vulture, 27 Nov. 2024
Julie Chavez Rodriguez, Harris' campaign manager and former state director in her Senate office, said the vice president uses her experience consoling victims as a courtroom prosecutor to connect with people after tragedies.
—Democrat-Gazette Staff From Wire Reports, arkansasonline.com, 3 Oct. 2024
Julie Chavez Rodriguez, Harris’ campaign manager and former state director in her Senate office, said the vice president uses her experience consoling victims as a courtroom prosecutor to connect with people after tragedies.
—Chris Megerian and Colleen Long, Los Angeles Times, 2 Oct. 2024
Noun
In a way, that’s a consoling thought.
—Daniel Immerwahr, New Yorker, 18 Aug. 2025
Adjective
The issue is whether the focus remains, as promised, on celebrating the team’s victories (or consoling their defeats).
—Judith Martin, Mercury News, 25 Sep. 2025
Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images After UConn lost the 2022 NCAA title game, Bird joined other program greats in consoling the Huskies and emphasized that heartbreak is part of every champion's journey.
—MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Aug. 2025
Montgomery suffered a season-ending injury on Sunday, announcing the news of his impending surgery by posting a picture of Sonic consoling a crying Knuckles on his Instagram story.
—Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 18 Dec. 2024
Ian, revved up by the camogie carnage and fresh off consoling Eva (eye emojis x2), takes it upon himself to tell Angelica in no uncertain terms to back off the Garvey sisters.
—Caroline Framke, Vulture, 27 Nov. 2024
Julie Chavez Rodriguez, Harris' campaign manager and former state director in her Senate office, said the vice president uses her experience consoling victims as a courtroom prosecutor to connect with people after tragedies.
—Democrat-Gazette Staff From Wire Reports, arkansasonline.com, 3 Oct. 2024
Julie Chavez Rodriguez, Harris’ campaign manager and former state director in her Senate office, said the vice president uses her experience consoling victims as a courtroom prosecutor to connect with people after tragedies.
—Chris Megerian and Colleen Long, Los Angeles Times, 2 Oct. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for consoling
Verb
-
Health regulators and government officials in Australia, the EU, South Africa, and the UK issued statements reassuring citizens that the drug — known as paracetamol outside North America — is safe.—
Tom Chivers,
semafor.com,
25 Sep. 2025
-
Officials have been less than reassuring.—
Dana Goodyear,
New Yorker,
22 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Plush or Stuffed Animal Every great Boo Basket starts with something soft, comforting, and a little bit whimsical.—
Elizabeth Fogarty,
Better Homes & Gardens,
27 Sep. 2025
-
As two women in our mid-30s who had been feeling the pressure of time, this concept felt both comforting and freeing.—
Raquel Reichard,
Refinery29,
24 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Sheen says he was disappointed but took the loss in stride, especially after Sophia Loren kissed him on the cheek as a consolation.—
Gillian Telling,
PEOPLE,
17 Sep. 2025
-
British voters who are angry with their government might find some small consolation in the fact that on their side of the Atlantic Ocean, ethical lapses can still carry a serious political price.—
Helen Lewis,
The Atlantic,
13 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Multiple health care and professional organizations, including the American College of Emergency Physicians, the Autism Science Foundation and UC Davis' MIND Institute, have issued statements assuring the public that acetaminophen is safe to take during pregnancy.—
Alexis Kayser,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Sep. 2025
-
Best case scenario for the Red Sox would be the Tigers sweeping the Guardians, knocking them out of the picture and likely assuring both an AL Central title for Detroit and a playoff berth for Boston.—
Mac Cerullo,
Boston Herald,
22 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Meanwhile, Sami, a city boy ashamed of his roots, arrives for a relaxing weekend on his family farm.—
Christopher Vourlias,
Variety,
27 Sep. 2025
-
After successfully making it past the beam and tossing a sandbag onto a tower before everyone else, Lambert won individual immunity and a major reward — a relaxing and rejuvenating evening at the Sanctuary with food, drinks and letters from home.—
Steve Helling,
PEOPLE,
24 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The familiarity of these efforts brings some reassurance; nothing is new under the media sun.—
Steven Zeitchik,
HollywoodReporter,
27 Sep. 2025
-
And that’s a shame, because reassurance is what their audiences crave most when the world around them teeters.—
Eric Vilas-Boas,
Vulture,
25 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Packed with 49% green tomato extract, glycerin, a six-clay complex (which includes kaolin and bentonite), and cica, this cleanser-mask hybrid clears pores and sweeps away blackheads while also soothing the skin.—
Sarah Han,
Allure,
25 Sep. 2025
-
Maybe that means oversized house numbers for a modern pop, a water feature for soothing sound or even a pet-friendly spot so your four-legged friend can join you outside.—
Angie Hicks,
Boston Herald,
25 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
The gentle sunrise alarm light is a calming wake-up rather than a loud and repetitive alarm clock.—
Julia Harrison,
Architectural Digest,
19 Sep. 2025
-
Honestly, the restaurant stuff is the most calming bit!—
Maggie Fremont,
Vulture,
19 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Consoling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/consoling. Accessed 2 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share