comfort

[kuhm-fert]

verb (used with object)

1. to soothe, console, or reassure; bring cheer to.

   They tried to comfort her after her loss.

   Synonyms: ease, gladden, solace, calm, pacify

2. to make physically comfortable.

   Synonyms: ease

3. Obsolete.,  to aid; support or encourage.

noun

1. relief in affliction; consolation; solace.

   Her presence was a comfort to him.

2. a feeling of relief or consolation.

   Her forgiveness afforded him great comfort.

3. a person or thing that gives consolation.

   She was a great comfort to him.

4. a cause or matter of relief or satisfaction.

   The patient's recovery was a comfort to the doctor.

5. a state of ease and satisfaction of bodily wants, with freedom from pain and anxiety.

   He is a man who enjoys his comfort.

6. something that promotes such a state.

   His wealth allows him to enjoy a high degree of comfort.

7. Chiefly Midland and Southern U.S.,  a comforter or quilt.

8. Obsolete.,  strengthening aid; assistance.

comfort

/ ˈkʌmfət /

noun

1. a state of ease or well-being

2. relief from affliction, grief, etc

3. a person, thing, or event that brings solace or ease

4. obsolete,  support

5. (usually plural) something that affords physical ease and relaxation

verb

1. to ease the pain of; soothe; cheer

2. to bring physical ease to

Other Word Forms

• comfortless adjective
• uncomforted adjective
• comfortlessness noun
• comfortlessly adverb
• comfortingly adverb
• comforting adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of comfort¹

First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English verb comfortien, from Anglo-French, Old French conforter, from Late Latin confortāre “to strengthen,” equivalent to con- con- ( def. ) + -fortāre, verb suffix formed from Latin fortis “strong”; noun derived from the verb

Word History and Origins

Origin of comfort¹

C13: from Old French confort, from Late Latin confortāre to strengthen very much, from Latin con- (intensive) + fortis strong

Idioms and Phrases

see cold comfort; creature comforts; too close for comfort.

Synonym Study

Comfort, console, relieve, soothe imply assuaging sorrow, worry, discomfort, or pain. To comfort is to lessen the sadness or sorrow of someone and to strengthen by inspiring with hope and restoring a cheerful outlook: to comfort a despairing person. Console, a more formal word, means to make grief or distress seem lighter, by means of kindness and thoughtful attentions: to console a bereaved parent. Relieve means to lighten, lessen, or remove pain, trouble, discomfort, or hardship: to relieve a needy person. Soothe means to pacify or calm: to soothe a child. See ease.

Example Sentences

A number of things could be at play in companies’ increasing comfort with layoffs, including optimism over artificial intelligence, but they all come down to the bottom line.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Fed Chair Jerome Powell, for his part, took comfort in data showing new applications for unemployment benefits remain low.

Read more on MarketWatch

In Test whites these players have comfort in their roles and the team's clarity.

Read more on BBC

It’s only at most a 30-day difference so I’m not sure there is much advantage, but maybe I’m missing something besides her comfort.

Read more on MarketWatch

This shift is influenced by China’s economic slowdown, including high youth unemployment and stagnant wage growth, leading to a search for comfort.

Read more on Barron's

Related Words

• amenity 
• contentment 
• convenience 
• enjoyment 
• happiness 
• luxury 
• pleasure 
• relaxation 
• relief 
• satisfaction 
• warmth 
• well-being