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Synonyms

comfort food

American  
[kuhm-fert food] / ˈkʌm fərt ˌfud /

noun

  1. simple, home-style food that brings comforting thoughts of home or childhood.


comfort food British  

noun

  1. food that is enjoyable to eat and makes the eater feel better emotionally

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of comfort food

First recorded in 1955–60

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:

The food has also remained consistent, with large portions and comfort food.

From Los Angeles Times Jul. 14, 2026

Natalie Green, a fertility nurse in Manhattan, used to regularly hop a train to Jersey City, N.J., to get her fix of comfort food at Cheesecake Factory, a chain known for big portions.

From The Wall Street Journal May 13, 2026

If I’m in the cooking mood, I love making comfort food like chicken and rice with cabbage and mac and cheese.

From Los Angeles Times Apr. 10, 2026

Matijevich recommends pairing the short ribs with polenta, which has been described as an ultimate comfort food.

From Salon Feb. 20, 2026

“You must mean summer of tutoring,” she would say in what became a familiar joke that, like comfort food, they would reach for from time to time.

From "Americanah" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

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