Synonyms for commiseration
Most common
All synonyms
Noun
1. Pity
pity, sympathy, compassion, fellow feeling, mercy, pathos, ruth dated, rue dated, remorse dated
Other
Definitions
- n. 1
The act of commiserating; sorrow for the hardships or afflictions of another; pity; compassion.
Forms
- Plural
- commiserations → pities, sympathies, compassions, mercies…
Choose the right word
Commiseration is as tender as compassion, but more remote and hopeless; we have commiseration for sufferers whom we can not reach or can not relieve.
J. C. Fernald, English Synonyms and Antonyms (1914)
Example sentences
- sympathy His helplessness appeals to her motherly sympathy.
- pity It was a pity that Tom couldn't come to our party.
- compassion Compassion is entirely absent from his character.
- condolence Dan appreciated your letter of condolence.
Popularity over time
| Word | 1850 → 2019 | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| commiseration | rising | |
| sympathy | steady | |
| pity | rising | |
| compassion | rising | |
| condolence | steady |
Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.
By length
- 3 letters
- rue1
- 4 letters
- pity2, ruth1
- 5 letters
- mercy2
- 6 letters
- pathos2
- 7 letters
- remorse2
- 8 letters
- sympathy3
- 10 letters
- compassion3, condolence3
The small number after each word is its number of syllables (pity2 = 2 syllables).
In other languages
- Français
- commisération