Intended to comfort or ease the pain of someone who is sad, troubled, or grieving.
From Latin 'consolatorius' (relating to consoling), derived from 'consolator' (one who comforts), from 'consolari' (to comfort).
A 'consolatory prize' is that prize you get for losing—it's designed to hurt less, which is why the phrase has become almost sarcastic, yet the original meaning was genuinely kind.
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