comfort
Americanverb (used with object)
-
comforts,
present (3rd person singular)
-
comforted,
past participle, past
-
comforting
present participle
noun
-
comforts
plural
-
relief in affliction; consolation; solace.
Her presence was a comfort to him.
-
a feeling of relief or consolation.
Her forgiveness afforded him great comfort.
-
a person or thing that gives consolation.
She was a great comfort to him.
-
a cause or matter of relief or satisfaction.
The patient's recovery was a comfort to the doctor.
-
a state of ease and satisfaction of bodily wants, with freedom from pain and anxiety.
He is a man who enjoys his comfort.
-
something that promotes such a state.
His wealth allows him to enjoy a high degree of comfort.
-
Chiefly Midland and Southern U.S. a comforter or quilt.
-
Obsolete. strengthening aid; assistance.
noun
-
a state of ease or well-being
-
relief from affliction, grief, etc
-
a person, thing, or event that brings solace or ease
-
obsolete support
-
(usually plural) something that affords physical ease and relaxation
verb
-
to ease the pain of; soothe; cheer
-
to bring physical ease to
Synonym Usage
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.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
-
comfortlessnessnoun
-
comfortingadjective
-
comfortlessadjective
-
uncomfortedadjective
-
comfortinglyadverb
-
comfortlesslyadverb
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
comfortsimple
-
comfortssimple
-
have comfortedperfect
-
has comfortedperfect
-
am comfortingprogressive
-
are comfortingprogressive
-
is comfortingprogressive
-
have been comfortingperfect progressive
-
has been comfortingperfect progressive
Past
-
comfortedsimple
-
had comfortedperfect
-
was comfortingprogressive
-
were comfortingprogressive
-
had been comfortingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of comfort
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
Explanation
To comfort someone is to give solace or to soothe. You might comfort your brother when his favorite team gets knocked out of the playoffs. The verb comfort comes from the Latin word comfortare, which means “strengthen greatly.” To give comfort is to shore up the mood or physical state of someone else. It might take a long time to comfort your mother after her cat disappears. As a noun, comfort is anything that provides satisfaction or a relaxed and easy feeling. You might think that the comfort of your new shoes cannot be surpassed.
Vocabulary lists containing comfort
Stay Strong: Forc and Fort
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
"Romeo and Juliet" by William Shakespeare, Act III
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
com-, con-
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
See Examples For:
Her role on “The Five” has made her an advocate of going into not-so-friendly territory to debate issues rather than staying in comfort zones where views are unchallenged.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 14, 2026
WSJ | Buy Side: The best joggers for women strike just the right balance of comfort and style.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 12, 2026
It added: "The Act is designed to help reduce the cost of school uniforms and ensure that affordability, comfort, practicality and sustainability are at the centre of school uniform policies."
From BBC ● Sep. 11, 2026
The movie has since become an unexplainable piece of comfort for a spooked generation.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 11, 2026
To that end, the costume she had fashioned was designed not for warmth or comfort, but solely to impress.
From "The Long-Lost Home" by Maryrose Wood
With higher ticket prices and more competition — not only with other touring bands but with the allures of home comforts — audiences need a bigger draw.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 3, 2026
Young Tony enjoys all the protections and comforts of an upper-middle-class existence in New Jersey.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026
There’s a trade-off: We experience a little emotional discomfort by being constantly surveilled, but we are rewarded with the more physical comforts of safety and efficiency.
From Slate ● Aug. 5, 2026
Former Arsenal midfielder and Wales captain Aaron Ramsey applies a tourniquet, while ex-Chelsea and Argentina goalkeeper Willy Caballero comforts the casualty.
From BBC ● Jul. 13, 2026
“You needn’t say anything, this comforts me,” she said softly.
From "Little Women" by Louisa May Alcott
His wife, who was comforted by other members of her family, watched from the public gallery as he answered "guilty" to dozens of charges.
From BBC ● Sep. 16, 2026
Eventually, she’s comforted by her unwavering support of Keeley, who is just the right mix of adorable, attractive and ambitious, and the fact that at least she’s not an anti-feminist like her mother.
From Salon ● Sep. 10, 2026
Reyna: In the studio, I had a lot of moments where I felt totally alone, but what comforted me was our creative process.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 2026
Dozens of police and emergency responders gathered outside the cordoned-off Debsirin Nonthaburi School on Friday, AFP journalists saw, while parents waited to pick up their children and tearful students and staff comforted each other outside.
From Barron's ● Aug. 7, 2026
It was such a convincing illusion that even I, who knew the essential falseness of it, felt oddly comforted.
From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt
"The support has been overwhelming, and it's been comforting," she said.
From BBC ● Sep. 9, 2026
Things that are hearty and comforting, endlessly accommodating and somehow greater than the sum of their decidedly humble parts.
From Salon ● Sep. 6, 2026
It is hard to tell someone who missed a bull market anything comforting, but historically some bull markets have run much longer and kept delivering big gains.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 26, 2026
In building a work culture, for instance, “there’s no textbook right answer. It’s not a super comforting feeling.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 16, 2026
And I can’t explain why, but after all the weirdness today, seeing all this normal, boring stuff was sort of comforting.
From "Maybe He Just Likes You" by Barbara Dee
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.
