Word of the Day

Thursday, September 21, 2006

solace

\SOL-is\ , noun;

Comfort in time of grief; alleviation of grief or anxiety.

That which relieves in distress; that which cheers or consoles; a source of relief.

transitive verb:

To comfort or cheer in grief or affliction; to console.

To allay; to soothe; as, "to solace grief."

Quotes:

Surrounded by unhappiness at home, John Sr. early on found solace and certainty in the realm of science and technology.

-- Sylvia Nasar, A Beautiful Mind

But immediately afterwards he dispels the agony by finding his customary solace in tales of chivalry.

-- Andre Philippus Brink, The Novel: Language and Narrative from Cervantes to Calvino

It provided some solace that three large, highly conservative insurance companies were willing to bet on my life.

-- Michael D. Eisner with Tony Schwartz, Work in Progress

Lillian's Lutheranism, with its harsh creed that suffering was a sign of God's favor, solaced her.

-- Lois W. Banner, Finding Fran

Origin:

Solace comes from Latin solacium, from solari, "to comfort; to console."