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Glite Dictionary
to condole

to condole

1 7.2
Express sympathy to someone who is sad after a death
  • verb
  • /kənˈdoʊl/
  • Formal
translation icon : condoler
  • On July 10, 1936, the Unionist Party met to condole the death of Fazl-i-Husain, and Sikandar Hayat was requested to return to Punjab.

Examples

  • Rather than condole, they defame.

    Academic text (1998)

  • Let us condole the knight, for, lambkins, we will live.

    Henry V (1989)

  • I will condole in some measure.

    A Midsummer Night's Dream (1999)

  • I will move storms, I will condole in some measure.

    Return with Honor (1999)

  • Writing a sympathetic note to his elder brother, the god-Emperor, to condole with His Mightiness on the death of the Empress was a very bad move.

    Blog text (5)

  • Many people came to condole with her after the loss of her husband.

  • He reached out to condole with his friend, who had recently lost a family member.

  • She sent a card to condole the family during their time of grief.

Synonyms

to commiserate
vsto condole
15 7.0

To feel or show sympathy for someone who is suffering

emphasizes sorrow especially tied to death rather than broad compassion
to condoler
vsto condole
8.8

To offer comfort to someone who has lost a loved one

focuses more on sorrow expressed at someone's death
to condole with
vsto condole
  • Formal
6.8

To express sympathy to someone for a death or loss

is used more for sorrow shown at a death than general misfortune

Phrasal Verbs

to condole with
  • Formal
6.8

To express sympathy to someone for a death or loss

How Sympathetic

to console
40 3.9
to condole
  • Formal
1 7.2
to sympathize
96 3.5
to pity
104 1.0

Surface Forms

condole infinitive
condoled past
condoled past participle
condoling present participle
condoles third person singular

Morphology

condole = con + dol

Although historically built from Latin con- + dolēre, the root 'dol' is not a productive or recognisable English base meaning 'grieve' for learners, so the modern meaning cannot be reliably derived from its parts.

Etymology

Condole comes from Latin parts con- 'together' and dolēre 'to feel pain or sorrow', and you can see the same root in doleful ('sad'). So, to condole someone is to 'feel sorrow together' with them and show your sympathy.