condolence
Definitions
An expression of sympathy offered to someone who has suffered a loss, especially a death
向遭受损失（尤指丧亲）的人致以的慰问、哀悼、吊唁
Root Breakdown
Root-derivedcon- (together, with) + dol (grieve, from Latin dolēre) + -ence (noun) = 'grieving together with someone.' Condolence is sorrow that is shared rather than felt alone — the act of telling a bereaved person that you feel their pain with them. The prefix con- is what turns private grief into a social gesture of sympathy.
Root dol still carries 6 more wordsUsage Guide
Usually plural in idiomatic use: offer/send/express one's condolences, accept my condolences. The singular condolence is rarer and reads more formal or abstract. It is tied almost exclusively to bereavement (death), not to general misfortune — you give condolences for a death, but sympathy for a setback.
Example Sentences
- 1.
She sent a card to express her condolences on the death of his father.
- 2.
The president offered his condolences to the families of the victims.
- 3.
Please accept my deepest condolences for your loss.
Synonym Comparison
- condolence — sympathy specifically for a death/bereavement; almost ritual funeral language
- sympathy — broadest; felt for any misfortune, from death to a bad day
- commiseration — sharing in someone's disappointment or minor misfortune, often lighter
- sorrow — the grief itself, not the expression of it offered to another