commiseration

/kəˌmɪzəˈreɪʃn/ (bre, ipa) · /kəˌmɪzəˈreɪʃn/ (ame, ipa) · /kə-ˌmi-zə-ˈrā-shən/ (ame, mw)

commiseration — noun

1. a feeling of sadness shown to someone who is upset or unlucky, to let them know

1.名詞C1
釋義

a feeling of sadness shown to someone who is upset or unlucky, to let them know you understand and share their disappointment

例句

Reema sent a card full of commiseration after Gabriel lost his pet rabbit.

commiseration after [bad event]

The neighbours stopped by with quiet commiseration when the Tanaka family's house was flooded.

uncountable, abstract noun usage

同義詞
  • sympathy

    much more common; everyday word for the same feeling

  • compassion

    wider — includes a wish to help, not only to share the sadness

  • pity

    can sound condescending; commiseration treats the person as an equal

反義詞
  • indifference

    showing no feeling at all about another's bad luck

文法句型

commiseration for [person/situation]

commiserations on [event]

用法筆記

Often uncountable when describing the inner feeling. Distinguish from sense 2: this sense names the quiet, private feeling of sympathy; sense 2 covers the spoken or written words used to express it (often plural 'commiserations').

常見錯誤

❌I gave him a commiseration.
✅I gave him my commiseration.
💡uncountable as a feeling; do not use 'a/an'.
❌She felt commiseration to him.
✅She felt commiseration for him.
💡the preposition for the person is 'for', not 'to'.

2. spoken or written words said to someone after they have lost a game, missed a ch

2.名詞C1
釋義

spoken or written words said to someone after they have lost a game, missed a chance, or had bad luck, especially to be polite

例句

After the final whistle, Christopher walked over to offer his commiserations to the losing team.

plural 'commiserations' after a sports loss

Minh sent a short message of commiserations when Jisoo failed her driving test again.

message / note of commiserations

同義詞
  • condolences

    reserved for a death; commiserations cover smaller losses too

  • sympathies

    broader; works for both deaths and smaller setbacks

反義詞

文法句型

commiserations on [losing/failing]

offer / send / accept commiserations

用法筆記

Almost always plural ('commiserations') when used as a polite spoken or written formula, parallel to 'congratulations'. Distinguish from sense 1 (the inner feeling): this sense is the words you say to perform that feeling, especially after a competition or near-miss.

常見錯誤

❌Congratulation on losing.
✅Commiserations on losing.
💡use this word, not 'congratulations', after a loss.
❌My commiseration on your defeat.
✅My commiserations on your defeat.
💡the polite formula is plural.