consolation

noun

con·​so·​la·​tion ˌkän(t)-sə-ˈlā-shən 

1

: the act or an instance of consoling : the state of being consoled : comfort

She found great consolation in all the cards and letters she received.

2

: something that consoles

specifically : a contest held for those who have lost early in a tournament

consolatory

kən-ˈsō-lə-ˌtȯr-ē 

-ˈsä-

adjective

Synonyms

• comforting
• consoling
• reassurance
• solace
• solacing

Examples of consolation in a Sentence

His kind words were a consolation to me.

the consolation of the grieving family by their pastor

Recent Examples on the Web

The latter scored a consolation goal, courtesy of an assist from Tomas Soucek, and his recent displays have offered encouragement. —Roshane Thomas, The Athletic, 5 Jan. 2025

As a consolation, George Osmond took the family to Disneyland. —Nardine Saad, Los Angeles Times, 2 Jan. 2025

While that sucks for fans of the bat, one nice consolation is news that Bong Joon-Ho’s Mickey 17 is coming even sooner than expected; it is now scheduled for March 7th, 2025, after delays of its own caused the original 2024 release to slip. —Quentyn Kennemer, The Verge, 27 Dec. 2024

Sure, within a few days, most security companies will push out an update that eliminates the new threat, but once ransomware has wrecked your files, that’s no consolation. —PCMAG, 17 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

see console entry 2

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing consolation

• consolation prize
• if it's any consolation

Kids Definition

consolation

noun

con·​so·​la·​tion ˌkän(t)-sə-ˈlā-shən 

1

: the act or an instance of consoling : the state of being consoled

2

: something that consoles

consolatory

kən-ˈsōl-ə-ˌtōr-ē

-sä-lə-

-ˌtȯr-

adjective