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Commiserate vs Lament - What's the difference?

commiserate | lament | Synonyms |

Commiserate is a synonym of lament.


In lang=en terms the difference between commiserate and lament

is that commiserate is to feel or express compassion or sympathy for (someone or something) while lament is to feel great sorrow or regret; to bewail.

As verbs the difference between commiserate and lament

is that commiserate is to feel or express compassion or sympathy for (someone or something) while lament is to express grief; to weep or wail; to mourn.

As an adjective commiserate

is (obsolete|rare) commiserating, pitying, lamentful.

As a noun lament is

an expression of grief, suffering, or sadness.

commiserate

English

Etymology 1

From , the perfect passive participle of commiseror.

Adjective

(-)
  • (obsolete, rare) commiserating, pitying, lamentful
  • * 1593 : , Christ’s Teares over Jerusalem , page 157 (1815 edited republication)
  • In the time of Gregory Nazianzene, if we may credit ecclesiastical records, there sprung up the direfulest mortality in Rome that mankind hath been acquainted with; scarce able were the living to bury the dead, and not so much but their streets were digged up for graves, which this holy Father (with no little commiserate heart-bleeding) beholding, commanded all the clergy (for he was at that time their chief bishop) to assemble in prayer and supplications, and deal forcingly beseeching with God, to intermit his fury and forgive them.

    References

    * “ †co?mmiserate, ppl. a.'']” listed in the '' [2nd Ed.; 1989

    Etymology 2

    Modelled upon , the perfect passive participial stem of the (etyl) commiseror.

    Alternative forms

    * (l) (obsolete) * (l) (obsolete spelling and modern misspelling) * (l) (obsolete spelling and modern misspelling)

    Verb

  • To feel or express compassion or sympathy for (someone or something).
  • (ambitransitive) To offer condolences jointly with; express sympathy with.
  • To sympathize; condole.
  • Derived terms
    * (l), (l) * (l)

    References

    * “ commiserate, v.'']” listed in the ''Oxford English Dictionary [2nd Ed.; 1989

    lament

    English

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • An expression of grief, suffering, or sadness.
  • A song expressing grief.
  • Derived terms

    * (l) (rare)

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To express grief; to weep or wail; to mourn.
  • * Bible, John xvi. 20
  • Ye shall weep and lament , but the world shall rejoice.
  • To feel great sorrow or regret; to bewail.
  • * 2014 , , " Southampton hammer eight past hapless Sunderland in barmy encounter", The Guardian , 18 October 2014:
  • By the end, Sunderland were lucky to lose by the same scoreline Northampton Town suffered against Southampton, in 1921. The Sunderland manager, Gus Poyet, lamented that it was “the most embarrassed I’ve ever been on a football pitch, without a doubt”.
  • * Dryden
  • One laughed at follies, one lamented crimes.

    Synonyms

    * bewail

    Anagrams

    * * * * ----