Condolent

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Expressing sympathy or sorrow for someone experiencing grief or misfortune
2. Marked by a deep sense of compassion and sorrow for those enduring loss or adversity
3. Characterized by an empathetic acknowledgment of another's pain or suffering in difficult times

Etymology: Latin "condolere" meant "to suffer together," from "com-" ("with") and "dolere" ("to grieve" or "to feel pain"). The adjective "condolent" comes from the present participle of that verb, so it describes someone who shares another's grief. English also has the verb "condole," which means to express sympathy, and the more familiar noun "condolence," which is the form most people meet in sympathy cards. Its root is shared with several English words of sorrow. "Dolour," "dolorous," and "doleful" all descend from "dolere," as does "indolent," which once meant "free from pain" before it came to mean lazy. The common word "dole," meaning a share of charity or unemployment payment, is unrelated. It comes from Old English "dǣl," meaning "share" or "portion."

Synonyms: sympathetic, compassionate

Antonyms: unsympathetic, indifferent