“Commiserate”
DEFINITION: “Commiserate” means to feel sympathy or express sorrow for. Specifically, if you commiserate with someone, you show them sympathy when something unpleasant has happened to them.
EXAMPLE: “I want to commiserate with you about the Boston winter.”
Americans are known for “commiserating” with strangers about a predicament they might find themselves in, such as a cancelled flight, a long line for a concert, or bad weather leaving them stranded. They try to connect with others over this current negative experience in order to try to “lighten” the mood.
Related links:
- https://grammarist.com/usage/commiserate-vs-commensurate/
- https://www.collinsdictionary.com/us/dictionary/english/commiserate
- https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/commiserate
