Console

v.kind, calmwarm

What it means

To give comfort to someone experiencing sadness or disappointment.

Reach for it when describing supportive presence that responds to another person's distress

Her teammates stayed behind to console the injured runner.

everyday
comfort
care helps ease distress
not when Comfort can be physical or practical and need not respond to grief.
warm
soothe
agitation or pain is gently reduced
not when Soothing can calm the surface without acknowledging the reason for sadness.
professional
reassure
fear is reduced through confidence or information
not when Reassurance may offer certainty that the speaker cannot honestly provide.
professional
support
practical or emotional help continues over time
not when Support is broader and can advance a goal unrelated to distress.
formal
commiserate
shared recognition of disappointment is central
not when Commiserating may dwell on the loss without bringing comfort.
literary
solace
elevated language suits quiet comfort in grief
not when As a verb, solace is uncommon and can make a personal moment sound distant.

try to console
He did not try to console her until he had listened to the full story.
console a friend
She brought dinner to console a friend after the rejection.
words to console
No perfect words to console the family were available, so they offered presence.

Consoling should not impose optimism, explanations, touch, or conversation that the distressed person does not want.

The definition and the example on this page are written here. The dictionaries above ground which meaning is being described, not the wording.