Commiserate
/kəˈmɪz.ə.reɪt/noun
To express or feel sympathy or pity for someone else's misfortune.
Did you know?The prefix 'com-' suggests a connection, hinting that when we commiserate, we share in the emotional burden and pain of others—binding us together in sorrow.
Etymological Timeline
Late Latin
Latin
commiserari
“To take pity on, to feel compassion for.”
Medieval Latin
Medieval Latin
commiseratus
“Having taken pity on, having felt compassion.”
15th Century
English
commiserate
“To express sorrow or sympathy.”
Modern English
English
commiserate
“To share in the feelings of another, particularly in their suffering.”
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