Meaning & use

commiserating

verb·Academic

Expressing sympathy or sharing feelings of sorrow with someone over a shared misfortune.

See it in a sentence

The coworkers spent lunch commiserating about the long hours their new manager demanded.

Friends gathered around, commiserating with her after she failed to make the final round.

A note on using this word

Commiserating usually involves mutual complaint about a shared problem, not just one-sided comfort.

Words with a similar meaning

sympathizingcondoling

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Words with an opposite meaning

celebrating

Make it your own

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