condole

present singular third person condoles · participle present condoling · participle past condoled · past condoled · first person past singular condoled · archaic present second person singular condolest · past second person singular condoled · archaic past second person singular condoledst · present singular third person condoles · archaic present singular third person condoleth · past singular third person condoled · past plural condoled · past subjunctive condoled · participle present condoling · participle past condoled

1. intransitiveFollowed by with: to express condolence to, or sympathetic sorrow with, someone; to lament in sympathy with someone.

   She condoled with her father over the death of his mother.

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   [A]n Ambaſſador ſent from a Prince, to congratulate, condole, or to aſſiſt at a ſolemnity, though the Authority be Publique, yet becauſe the buſineſſe is Private, and belonging to him in his naturall capacity; is a Private perſon.

   1651, Thomas Hobbes, “Of the Publique Ministers of a Soveraign Power”, in Leviathan, or The Matter, Forme, & Power of a Common-wealth Ecclesiasticall and Civill, London: […] [William Wilson] for Andrew Crooke, […], →OCLC, 2nd part (Of Common-wealth), page 126

   […] I doubt Madam, your complaints ought to be turned into acknovvledgments, and your Friends vvould have cauſe to rejoyce rather than condole vvith you; […]

   1674 February 8 (date written; Gregorian calendar), William Temple, “To the Countess of Essex, upon Her Grief Occasioned by the Loss of Her Only Daughter. […]”, in Miscellanea. […], London: […] A. M. and R. R. for Edward Gellibrand, […], published 1680, →OCLC, pages 170–171

   The hero having heard of his friend's death, immediately repaired to his mistress, to condole with her, and comfort her.

   1710 January 17 (Gregorian calendar), Isaac Bickerstaff [et al., pseudonyms; Richard Steele et al.], “Friday, January 7, 1709–10”, in The Tatler, number 117; republished in [Richard Steele], editor, The Tatler, […], London stereotype edition, volume II, London: I. Walker and Co.; […], 1822, →OCLC, page 223

   She was of great use and comfort to us all, and lady Lucas has been very kind; she walked here on Wednesday morning to condole with us, and offered her services, or any of her daughters, if they could be of use to us.

   1813 January 27, [Jane Austen], chapter V, in Pride and Prejudice: […], volume III, London: […] [George Sidney] for T[homas] Egerton, […], →OCLC, page 108

   […] Tanee was accosted by certain good fellows, friends and boon companions, who condoled with him on his misfortunes—railed against the queen, and finally dragged him away to an illicit vender of spirits, in whose house the party got gloriously mellow.

   1847 March 30, Herman Melville, “Queen Pomaree”, in Omoo: A Narrative of Adventures in the South Seas; […], London: John Murray, […], →OCLC, page 309

2. intransitiveobsoleteTo express deep sorrow; to grieve, to lament.

   As vve congratulate their thus preventing perſecution according to Chriſts precept, ſo vve cannot but condole, that the ſame perſons vvere aftervvards poiſoned vvith hereticall opinions, contrary to the expreſs vvord of God, and became Apoſtate Nazarites.

   1650, Thomas Fuller, “Manasseh beyond Jordan”, in A Pisgah-sight of Palestine and the Confines thereof, with the History of the Old and New Testament Acted thereon, London: […] J. F. for John Williams […], →OCLC, book II, paragraph 10, page 94

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   Bott[om]. VVhat is Pyramus? a louer, or a tyrant? / Quin[ce]. A louer that kils himſelfe, moſt gallant, for loue. / Bott. That vvill aſke ſome teares in the true performing of it. If I doe it, let the Audience looke to their eyes: I vvil mooue ſtormes: I vvill condole, in ſome meaſure.

   c. 1595–1596 (date written), William Shakespeare, A Midsommer Nights Dreame. […] (First Quarto), London: […] [Richard Bradock] for Thomas Fisher, […], published 1600, →OCLC, [Act I, scene ii], signature B2, recto

   Synonyms: besorrow, mourn, rue, aggrieve, besorrow, darken, engrieve, erme

3. formaloftentransitivearchaic or obsolete except IndiaTo express regret or sorrow over (an undesirable event or other misfortune); to bemoan, to grieve, to lament.

   Nay, compaſsion it ſelfe, comes to no great degree, if vvee haue not felt, in ſome proportion, in our ſelues, that vvhich vvee lament and condole in another.

   1624, John Donne, “23. Meditation”, in Deuotions upon Emergent Occasions, and Seuerall Steps in My Sicknes: […], London: […] A[ugustine] M[atthews] for Thomas Iones, →OCLC, page 599

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   God is Serious in hearing our Prayers, and delivering us from our dangers, and removing our troubles, and beſtovving his Mercies. VVhen vve are afflicted he is afflicted vvith us, […] He condoleth their miſery vvhen he is forced to chaſtiſe them: […]

   1649, Richard Baxter, “An Exhortation to Seriousness in Seeking Rest”, in The Saints Everlasting Rest: Or, A Treatise of the Blessed State of the Saints in Their Enjoyment of God in Glory. […], London: […] Rob[ert] White, for Thomas Underhil and Francis Tyton, […], →OCLC, part III (Containing Several Uses of the Former Doctrine of Rest), section 22, paragraph 4, page 366

   [H]e began to retire himſelf to his Chamber to pray for, and pity them [his relations]; and alſo to condole his own miſery; he would alſo walk ſolitarily in the Fields, ſometimes reading, and ſometimes praying: and thus for ſome days he ſpent his time.

   1678, John Bunyan, The Pilgrim’s Progress from This World, to That which is to Come: […], London: […] Nath[aniel] Ponder […], →OCLC; reprinted in The Pilgrim’s Progress as Originally Published by John Bunyan: Being a Fac-simile Reproduction of the First Edition, London: Elliot Stock […], 1875, →OCLC, page 4

   If Julia were then Married to Agrippa, vvhy ſhould our Poet make his Petition to Iſis, for her ſafe Delivery, and aftervvards, Condole her Miſcarriage; vvhich for ought he knevv might be by her ovvn Husband?

   1680, John Dryden, “The Preface to Ovid’s Epistles”, in Ovid, Ovid’s Epistles, […], London: […] Jacob Tonson […], →OCLC

   [W]hether it be natural to the Indians to be thus melancholy, or the effect of their Slavery, I am not certain: But I have alvvays been prone to believe, that they are then only condoling their misfortunes, the loſs of their Country and Liberties: […]

   1697, William Dampier, chapter V, in A New Voyage Round the World. […], London: […] James Knapton, […], →OCLC, page 127

   As ſoon as vve had fired, they ſet up the horrideſt Yell, or Hovvling, partly raiſed by thoſe that vvere vvounded, and partly by thoſe that pitied and condoled the Bodies they ſavv lye dead, that I never heard any thing like it before or ſince.

   1720, [Daniel Defoe], The Life, Adventures, and Pyracies, of the Famous Captain Singleton, London: […] J[ohn] Brotherton, […], J[ohn] Graves […], A[nne] Dodd, […], and T[homas] Warner, […], →OCLC, pages 69–70

   Synonyms: bewail, mourn, afterthink, becry, begrieve, bemoan, bemourn, bewail

4. obsoletetransitiveTo express condolence to, or sympathetic sorrow with (someone); to lament in sympathy with (someone).

   Let vs condoll the knight: for lamkins vve vvill liue.

   1599 (date written), [William Shakespeare], The Cronicle History of Henry the Fift, […] (First Quarto), London: […] Thomas Creede, for Tho[mas] Millington, and Iohn Busby […], published 1600, →OCLC, [Act II, scene i], signature B2, verso

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   I not condole the dead, but thoſe vvho're living, / To vvhom the fear of death, gives cauſe of grieveing.

   1662, Jo. Donne [i.e., John Donne the Younger], “[A Cabinet of Merry Conceits.] 98. Another [Of the Uncertainty of Life].”, in Donne’s Satyr. […], London: […] R. W. for M. Wright, […], →OCLC, page 64

   When in early days the sisters had gently condoled her upon her losses, they had been met with that majesty and stoicism of which Monsieur Papin had written. 'What will you ladies?' she had answered, shrugging her shoulders, 'it is Fate.'

   1958 October 12, Isak Dinesen [pseudonym; Karen Blixen], “Babette’s Feast”, in Anecdotes of Destiny, New York, N.Y.: Random House, →OCLC, page 37

   If the Times is to be believed, Indian politicians like nothing better than a quick condole; and certainly barely a day passes without a picture of, say, the Chief Minister of Haryana condoling Mrs Parvati Chaudhuri over the death of Mr Devi Chaudhuri, the director-general of All-India Widgets. Indeed, condoling shows every sign of becoming a growth industry. If a businessman has died but it is not considered important enough to be condoled by the Chief Minister, it is becoming fashionable for his business colleagues to take out an illustrated advertisement and condole him themselves.

   1993, William Dalrymple, chapter 4, in City of Djinns: A Year in Delhi, London: Harper Perennial, HarperCollinsPublishers, published 2005, →ISBN, page 73

   Synonyms: commiserate, feel sorry for, commiserate, compassion, compassionate, feel someone's pain, feel sorry for, mercify

5. obsoletereflexivetransitiveTo express or feel sorrow for (oneself); to bewail, to mourn.

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   [A]s for our tramontane lovers, when they begin their midnight complaint with, My lodging upon the cold ground is, we are not to understand them in the rigour of the letter; since it would be impossible for a British swain to condole himself long in that situation, without really dying for his mistress.

   1710 September 19 (Gregorian calendar), Isaac Bickerstaff [et al., pseudonyms; Richard Steele et al.], “Friday, September 9, 1710”, in The Tatler, number 222; republished in [Richard Steele], editor, The Tatler, […], London stereotype edition, volume III, London: I. Walker and Co.; […], 1822, →OCLC, page 229