Standard Lemma guide

solace

noun · verb · 9 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˈsɒl.ɪs/
  • General-American: sŏlʹĭs
  • General-American: /ˈsɑ.lɪs/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • Australian: /ˈsɔl.ɪs/
  • Australia: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -ɒlɪs
  • CMU ARPABET: S AA1 L AH0 S Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
  • CMU ARPABET 2: S OW1 L IH0 S Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

Comfort or consolation in a time of loneliness or distress.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Examples

  • You cannot put a monetary value on emotional solace.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: comfort, consolation, relief, alleviation, ease, liss, release, respite, solace

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A source of comfort or consolation.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Examples

  • September 25, 1750, Samuel Johnson, The Rambler The proper solaces of age are not music and compliments, but wisdom and devotion.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

verb

Meaning 3

To give solace to; comfort; cheer; console.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: besoothe, soothe, cheer, comfort, console, solace

Antonyms: none provided

4

verb

Meaning 4

To allay or assuage.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

verb

Meaning 5

To take comfort; to be cheered.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

noun

Meaning 6

the act of consoling; giving relief in affliction

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • his presence was a consolation to her

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: consolation, comfort

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: relief, succor, succour, ministration

7

noun

Meaning 7

the comfort you feel when consoled in times of disappointment

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • second place was no consolation to him

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: consolation, solacement

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: comfort

Narrower terms: cold comfort, silver lining, bright side

8

noun

Meaning 8

comfort in disappointment or misery

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: solacement

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: comfort, comfortableness

9

verb

Meaning 9

give moral or emotional strength to

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: comfort, soothe, console

Antonyms: none provided

Narrower terms: calm, calm down, quiet, tranquilize, tranquillize, tranquillise, quieten, lull, still, allay, relieve, ease

History

Etymology

From Old French solas, from Latin sōlācium (“consolation”), root from Proto-Indo-European *selh2- (“mercy, comfort”).

Across languages

Translations

101 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Azerbaijani: təsəlli — consolation
  • Azerbaijani: təskin — consolation
  • Azerbaijani: təskinlik — consolation
  • Bashkir: йыуаныс (yıwanıs) — consolation
  • Bulgarian: утешение (utešenie) — consolation
  • Catalan: consol — consolation
  • Czech: útěcha — consolation
  • Danish: trøst — consolation
  • Dutch: troost — consolation
  • Dutch: soelaas — consolation
  • Esperanto: konsolo — consolation
  • Faroese: troyst — consolation
  • Finnish: lohtu — consolation
  • Finnish: lohdutus — consolation
  • French: consolation — consolation
  • French: réconfort — consolation
  • Galician: solaz — consolation
  • Georgian: ნუგეში (nugeši) — consolation
  • German: Trost — consolation
  • Greek: παρηγοριά (parigoriá) — consolation
  • Hebrew: נחמה (nekhamá) — consolation
  • Hindi: सांत्वना (sāntvanā) — consolation
  • Hungarian: vigasz — consolation
  • Hungarian: vigasztalás — consolation
  • Hungarian: megnyugtatás — consolation
  • Hungarian: megnyugvás — consolation
  • Ido: konsolaco — consolation
  • Italian: consolazione — consolation
  • Italian: conforto — consolation
  • Korean: 위안 (wian) — consolation
  • Latin: solacium — consolation
  • Māori: oranga ngākau — consolation
  • Norwegian Bokmål: trøst — consolation
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: trøyst — consolation
  • Persian: تسلی (tasalli) — consolation
  • Plautdietsch: Troost — consolation
  • Polish: pociecha — consolation
  • Portuguese: consolo — consolation
  • Romanian: consolare — consolation
  • Romanian: reconfortare — consolation
  • Russian: утеше́ние (utešénije) — consolation
  • Russian: смягче́ние (smjaxčénije) — consolation
  • Scottish Gaelic: sòlas — consolation
  • Slovak: útecha — consolation
  • Spanish: solaz — consolation
  • Swedish: tröst — consolation
  • Turkish: teselli — consolation
  • Bulgarian: утеха (uteha) — source of comfort
  • Catalan: consol — source of comfort
  • Czech: útěcha — source of comfort
  • Danish: trøst — source of comfort
  • Dutch: troost — source of comfort
  • Dutch: soelaas — source of comfort
  • Finnish: lohtu — source of comfort
  • Finnish: lohdutus — source of comfort
  • French: consolation — source of comfort
  • French: réconfort — source of comfort
  • Galician: solaz — source of comfort
  • German: Trost — source of comfort
  • Hindi: सांत्वना (sāntvanā) — source of comfort
  • Hungarian: vigasz — source of comfort
  • Hungarian: támasz — source of comfort
  • Italian: consolazione — source of comfort
  • Italian: conforto — source of comfort
  • Latin: solacium — source of comfort
  • Māori: oranga ngākau — source of comfort
  • Norwegian Bokmål: trøst — source of comfort
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: trøyst — source of comfort
  • Persian: دلخوشی (del-xoši) — source of comfort
  • Plautdietsch: Troost — source of comfort
  • Polish: pociecha — source of comfort
  • Portuguese: consolo — source of comfort
  • Slovak: útecha — source of comfort
  • Swedish: tröst — source of comfort
  • Bulgarian: утешавам (utešavam) — to give solace to
  • Czech: utěšit — to give solace to
  • Dutch: troosten — to give solace to
  • Finnish: lohduttaa — to give solace to
  • Finnish: piristää — to give solace to
  • French: soulager — to give solace to
  • French: consoler — to give solace to
  • German: trösten — to give solace to
  • Greek: παρηγορώ (parigoró) — to give solace to
  • Hungarian: vigasztal — to give solace to
  • Hungarian: vigaszt nyújt — to give solace to
  • Hungarian: megnyugtat — to give solace to
  • Ido: konsolacar — to give solace to
  • Polish: przynosić pociechę — to give solace to
  • Portuguese: consolar — to give solace to
  • Portuguese: reconfortar — to give solace to
  • Russian: утеша́ть (utešátʹ) — to give solace to
  • Spanish: solazar — to give solace to
  • Spanish: consolar — to give solace to
  • Swedish: trösta — to give solace to
  • Bulgarian: успокоявам (uspokojavam) — to allay, assuage
  • Czech: utišit — to allay, assuage
  • Czech: ztišit — to allay, assuage
  • Finnish: lievittää — to allay, assuage
  • Greek: ανακουφίζω (anakoufízo) — to allay, assuage
  • Hungarian: enyhít — to allay, assuage
  • Hungarian: csillapít — to allay, assuage
Real reading context

solace in complete knowledge articles