comfort eating

[kuhm-fert ee-ting]

noun

1. emotional eating, especially as a response to sad, depressing, or upsetting feelings or experiences.

   Cake and bread are my go-to for comfort eating when I am down.

Word History and Origins

Origin of comfort eating¹

First recorded in 1965–70

Example Sentences

Dent, 51, is also the restaurant critic for the Guardian and hosts a podcast called Comfort Eating with Grace Dent, was a contestant on I'm a Celebrity in 2023.

Read more on BBC

We see a potent metaphor for the fourth sign of the zodiac in the Mono Silver Zeug cutlery set — a shiny smattering of tools for that sacred source of comfort: eating.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

I told myself it was enough exercise to justify all the comfort eating, as well as an opportunity to support local businesses and cure my cabin fever.

Read more on Slate

The soundtrack indicates that this is not a case of stress or comfort eating, but an act of joy.

Read more on Salon

She has ordered everything from takeaways for comfort eating, to furniture and flights she did not need or had any intention to use.

Read more on BBC