consoling

Pluralconsolings

1. 1
   verb

   Present participle and gerund of console.

   The nurses spent the night consoling relatives in the waiting room.

   He has never been good at consoling people; he always says the wrong thing.

   Note

   The -ing form works as a participle after be (she was consoling him) and as a gerund naming the action (consoling a friend takes patience). It belongs only to the verb of comfort: console as a cabinet, control desk or car compartment is a noun and has no -ing form. Before a noun the same spelling often acts as the adjective meaning comforting, which takes more and most.

2. 2
   adjective

   Easing someone's grief, sorrow or disappointment, and so giving comfort.

   He found it consoling that the money had at least gone to a good cause.

   A consoling hand on the shoulder can say more than a long speech.

   Similarcomforting, reassuring, heartening, soothing

   Oppositedistressing, upsetting

3. 3
   nouncountable or uncountable

   The act of comforting someone in a time of grief, disappointment or distress.

   Her quiet consoling meant more to the widow than all the flowers.

   He grew tired of the endless consolings of relatives who had barely known his father.

   Similarconsolation, comfort, comforting

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