cold comfort

American  

noun

1. slight or negligible comfort; scarce consolation.

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cold comfort Idioms  

1. Slight or no consolation. For example, He can't lend us his canoe but will tell us where to rent one—that's cold comfort. The adjective cold was being applied to comfort in this sense by the early 1300s, and Shakespeare used the idiom numerous times.

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Etymology

Origin of cold comfort

First recorded in 1565–75

Example Sentences

Yet this may be cold comfort to the Trump administration.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 26, 2026

“Unrelated,” said his lawyers, which was cold comfort for everyone else.

From Slate • Mar. 25, 2026

Still, that’s cold comfort because the health of the business is at the heart of Klarna’s struggle.

From Barron's • Mar. 13, 2026

This may come as cold comfort for hundreds now facing unemployment, and their legion of investors.

From BBC • Mar. 6, 2026

That was cold comfort, Serber reflected: “I had found the experience humiliating and frightening, and resented having been put through it.”

From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik