condole

/kənˈdəʊl/

//kənˈdəʊl// verb

"condole" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“condole” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
7
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Followed by with: to express condolence to, or sympathetic sorrow with, someone; to lament in sympathy with someone.

Corpus desk

Index EN-condole · condole · English

condole · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "C" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Key facts for condole
PropertyValue
Headwordcondole
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/kənˈdəʊl/
Letters7
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “condole” in English

condoleranks outside the top 100,000 English headwords, in the long tail of specialist, archaic, or seldom-used vocabulary, exactly the territory where a reader stops mid-sentence to double-check spelling.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

condole is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as averb, transcribed /kənˈdəʊl/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 5 senses are on record.

Zero misspellings are on record for condole in our index, since its letter pattern doesn't lend itself to common typo substitutions. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: PIE word *ḱóm Learned borrowing from Ecclesiastical Latin condolēre, the present active infinitive of condoleō (“to feel severe pain, suffer greatly; to suffer with or feel another’s pain, condole”), from Latin con- (prefix denoting a being or bringing tog… The correct English form is condole, spelled C-O-N-D-O-L-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Followed by with: to express condolence to, or sympathetic sorrow with, someone; to lament in sympathy with someone.
  2. 2
    To express deep sorrow; to grieve, to lament.
  3. 3
    To express regret or sorrow over (an undesirable event or other misfortune); to bemoan, to grieve, to lament.
  4. 4
    To express condolence to, or sympathetic sorrow with (someone); to lament in sympathy with (someone).
  5. 5
    To express or feel sorrow for (oneself); to bewail, to mourn.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how condole appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. [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.
  2. […] I doubt Madam, your complaints ought to be turned into acknovvledgments, and your Friends vvould have cauſe to rejoyce rather than condole vvith you; […]

Etymology

PIE word *ḱóm Learned borrowing from Ecclesiastical Latin condolēre, the present active infinitive of condoleō (“to feel severe pain, suffer greatly; to suffer with or feel another’s pain, condole”), from Latin con- (prefix denoting a being or bringing together of several things) + doleō (“to suffer physical pain, hurt; to be sorry, grieve for, deplore, lament”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *delh₁- (“to divide, split”)).

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "condole"?
"condole" is spelled C-O-N-D-O-L-E. The IPA pronunciation is /kənˈdəʊl/.
What does "condole" mean?
As a verb, "condole" means: Followed by with: to express condolence to, or sympathetic sorrow with, someone; to lament in sympathy with someone.
How do you pronounce "condole"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "condole" is /kənˈdəʊl/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "condole"?
PIE word *ḱóm Learned borrowing from Ecclesiastical Latin condolēre, the present active infinitive of condoleō (“to feel severe pain, suffer greatly; to suffer with or feel another’s pain, condole”), from Latin con- (prefix denoting a being or br... See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list