Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
The Collaborative International Dictionary
Commiserate \Com*mis"er*ate\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Commiserated; p. pr. & vb. n. Commiserating.] [L. commiseratus, p. p. of commiserari to commiserate; com- + miserari to pity. See Miserable.] To feel sorrow, pain, or regret for; to pity.
Then must we those, who groan, beneath the weight
Of age, disease, or want, commiserate.
--Denham.
We should commiserate our mutual ignorance.
--Locke.
Syn: To pity; compassionate; lament; condole.
Douglas Harper's Etymology Dictionary
c.1600, from Latin commiseratus, past participle of commiserari "to pity, bewail" (see commiseration). Related: Commiserated; commiserating. An Old English loan-translation of commiserate was efensargian.
Wiktionary
Etymology 1
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(context obsolete rare English) commiserating, pitying, lamentful Etymology 2
alt. 1 (context transitive English) To feel or express compassion or sympathy for (someone or something). 2 (context ambitransitive English) To offer condolences jointly with; express sympathy with. 3 (context intransitive as the phrasal verb ''commiserate with'' English) To sympathize; condole. v
1 (context transitive English) To feel or express compassion or sympathy for (someone or something). 2 (context ambitransitive English) To offer condolences jointly with; express sympathy with. 3 (context intransitive as the phrasal verb ''commiserate with'' English) To sympathize; condole.
WordNet
v. to feel or express sympathy or compassion [syn: sympathize, sympathise]
Usage examples of "commiserate".
Gareth Swales sat at his ease, conversing with the peer as an equal, condescending graciously to the planter and commiserating with the civil servant on his run of luck.
Montgomery Blair came in, his father in tow, and commiserated with him.
She looked over at Michael, who winked at her like a coconspirator, as if he read her thoughts and commiserated with them.
Colleen needed an ally, someone to commiserate with and share her outrage.
Donald, never had from the day he came to commiserate with her on the tragic death of her parents in the car crash.
Friedman was commiserating with me, and to tell you the truth, I was beginning to feel more sorry for him.
The boys got away from dinner, and, after deep consultation, agreed upon a course of conduct, which was to commiserate with Farmer Blaize loudly, and make themselves look as much like the public as it was possible for two young malefactors to look, one of whom already felt Adrian's enormous A devouring his back with the fierceness of the Promethean eagle, and isolating him forever from mankind.
Aunt Aggie didn't like Donald, never had from the day he came to commiserate with her on the tragic death of her parents in the car crash.
Two other young women, her cluse lends by the way they stood, commiserated with her.
So he and I commiserated on being abandoned and anticipated a couple of days on our own in the dormitory.
His voice was oddly nonjudgmental, as if he commiserated with me over a garden blight.
Two other young women, her close friends by the way they stood, commiserated with her.
Hardinge commiserated with her on her unfortunate accident, and Julianne told her she was glad to see her up again so that she could save the rest of them from Grandmama’s tedious conversation and constant demands.
It was a relief to him, even though the one lady talked about nothing but the travails of having six daughters to bring out when one would like nothing better than to remain on one’s own country estate all year long, and the other tittered and commiserated with him over the fact that he had to keep two matrons company when he would doubtless far prefer to be seated by someone younger and prettier.
As before, he and Marianne had commiserated on the dullness of adults and their lack of knowing how to amuse themselvesand those observations had led to their over-imaginative discussions on what constituted fun and what they could do about it.