consolation
noun
Simple meaning
The act of consoling.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
kahnsuhlayshuhnSay the bold part a little louder.
IPA pronunciation (US)
kɑnsəˈleɪʃən
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
noun
The act of consoling; giving relief in affliction
“His presence was a consolation to her.”
The act or example of consoling; the condition of being consoled.
The prize or benefit for the loser.
sports
A consolation goal.
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- C1 · Advanced
- Frequency
- Uncommon
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: The act of consoling; giving relief in affliction
Used this way, consolation is a common word with a mildly favourable edge. It usually sounds natural in a wide range of settings.
“His presence was a consolation to her.”
- Emotional tone
- Slightly positive
- Formality
- Neutral
- Intensity
- Moderate
- How common
- Common
- Connotation
- Positive and appreciative
- Usage feel
- Neutral and straightforward
Usage note
It most often appears in the pattern “consolation to …”, which is worth copying when you use it.
Natural pattern: consolation to …
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
More ways to use consolation
- “His presence was a consolation to her.”noun
- “Second place was no consolation to him.”noun
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Common Patterns and Combinations
How this word naturally appears with others.
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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.