comfortable
Americanadjective
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(of clothing, furniture, etc.) producing or affording physical comfort, support, or ease.
a comfortable chair;
comfortable shoes.
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being in a state of physical or mental comfort; contented and undisturbed; at ease.
to be comfortable in new shoes;
I don't feel comfortable in the same room with her.
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(of a person, situation, etc.) producing mental comfort or ease; easy to accommodate oneself to or associate with.
She's a comfortable person to be with.
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more than adequate or sufficient.
a comfortable salary.
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Obsolete. cheerful.
noun
adjective
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giving comfort or physical relief
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at ease
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free from affliction or pain
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(of a person or situation) relaxing
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informal having adequate income
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informal (of income) adequate to provide comfort
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of comfortable
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English word from Anglo-French word confortable. See comfort, -able
Explanation
The adjective comfortable describes something that makes you feel relaxed, like a comfortable couch that makes you want to curl up on it and take a nap. In addition to describing things that feel good, like shoes that don't hurt your feet, comfortable can mean "feeling free from stress or worry." If you are comfortable around people, you can be yourself. It can also mean "secure" — a family that, though not rich, lives a comfortable lifestyle, meaning they have considerable savings, or you feeling comfortable speaking Spanish in Chile, meaning you trust your ability to communicate.
Vocabulary lists containing comfortable
Stay Strong: Forc and Fort
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A Wealth Of Words: Synonyms for "Rich"
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"The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet," Vocabulary from Act 5
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"Especially with a lot of younger players on the pitch, and off it as well, being able to speak to them and make them feel comfortable, it's something I really like."
From BBC ● Jul. 25, 2026
But she’s also the kind of television personality who is comfortable before the camera without being in love with it, or giving the impression that media success is her raison d’être.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026
And there’s likely a good reason for that: The term is typically only deployed by those comfortable being relegated as fringe, and Lamb seeks broad popularity.
From Slate ● Jul. 23, 2026
There needs to be a really good hangout spot, so the couch needs to be super comfortable, and if the couch isn’t comfortable, no one wants to stay there.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026
“Come on, my shoes aren’t comfortable enough to walk an extra twenty minutes....”
From "Night Owls" by A.R. Vishny
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
