What does condoled mean?
'Condoled' is the past tense of the verb 'condole', meaning to express sympathy or sorrow to someone who has suffered a loss, most commonly a bereavement. The word is formal in tone and carries a solemn, dignified connotation: to condole is to acknowledge another person's grief respectfully rather than to attempt to cheer them out of it. It almost always appears in the construction 'condole with somebody on something', as when colleagues condoled with a coworker after a death in the family. Though grammatically standard, direct use of the verb has grown less common in everyday speech; contemporary writers and speakers more frequently reach for phrases such as 'offer condolences' or 'express sympathy', which derive from the same root. The word traces back through French 'condoler' to the Latin 'dolere', meaning to suffer or grieve — the same source that gives us 'dolor' and 'indolence'. Its enduring usefulness lies in marking a distinct social act: the formal expression of shared sorrow.
verbPast tense and past participle of 'condole': to express sympathy or sorrow to someone, especially over a bereavement or misfortune.
- To express sympathy or sorrow to a person, especially on the death of a relative or friend.
"The whole office condoled with her after the loss of her father."
"After the funeral, neighbours called throughout the week to condoled with the grieving widow."
"In his letter, the ambassador condoled with the president on the national tragedy."
'Condole' comes straight from Latin 'dolare' — to grieve — making it one of the few English verbs whose very root is sorrow itself.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of condoled
'Condole' entered English in the late sixteenth century, borrowed from French 'condoler', itself from Late Latin 'condolere', formed from 'com-' (together) plus 'dolare', from Latin 'dolere' meaning to suffer or grieve. The literal sense was thus 'to grieve together with someone'. The same Latin root produced 'dolor', 'doleful', and 'indolent', all carrying shades of pain or sorrow.
Related word forms
How condoled is actually used
Formal and somewhat old-fashioned in register; modern speakers more often say 'offered condolences' or 'expressed sympathy' than use the verb directly. The construction is typically 'condole with somebody on/over something'.
Easily confused with condoled
'Consoled' means actively comforting or cheering someone in distress, while 'condoled' means formally expressing sympathy or sorrow for another's grief without necessarily easing it.