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comfort zone

American  

noun

  1. the range of atmospheric temperature and humidity considered comfortable for most people.

comfort zone British  

noun

  1. a situation or position in which a person feels secure, comfortable, or in control

    encouraging people to work outside their comfort zone
"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

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.

For a few, doubt creeps in, but most overcome their cognitive dissonance and reinflate the bubble of credulity that constitutes their comfort zone.

From Salon • Mar. 14, 2026

"You've got to put yourself outside your comfort zone, if there's uncomfortable themes... it's on you to discover those and discuss them in uni. That's the idea."

From BBC • Mar. 12, 2026

If it pushes against your comfort zone but stays within your principles, it’s almost reckless — that’s where the best decisions live.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 5, 2026

"But no matter how established you are, there's always a comfort zone you need to push to progress. It's always a continuous progress, a journey I now have more fully embraced."

From BBC • Feb. 5, 2026

Maybe we just need to break through your comfort zone this once.

From "The Serpent King" by Jeff Zentner

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.