comfortable
Americanadjective
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(of clothing, furniture, etc.) producing or affording physical comfort, support, or ease.
a comfortable chair;
comfortable shoes.
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being in a state of physical or mental comfort; contented and undisturbed; at ease.
to be comfortable in new shoes;
I don't feel comfortable in the same room with her.
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(of a person, situation, etc.) producing mental comfort or ease; easy to accommodate oneself to or associate with.
She's a comfortable person to be with.
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more than adequate or sufficient.
a comfortable salary.
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Obsolete. cheerful.
noun
adjective
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giving comfort or physical relief
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at ease
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free from affliction or pain
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(of a person or situation) relaxing
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informal having adequate income
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informal (of income) adequate to provide comfort
Other Word Forms
- comfortability noun
- comfortableness noun
- comfortably adverb
- quasi-comfortable adjective
- quasi-comfortably adverb
- supercomfortable adjective
Etymology
Origin of comfortable
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English word from Anglo-French word confortable. See comfort, -able
Explanation
The adjective comfortable describes something that makes you feel relaxed, like a comfortable couch that makes you want to curl up on it and take a nap. In addition to describing things that feel good, like shoes that don't hurt your feet, comfortable can mean "feeling free from stress or worry." If you are comfortable around people, you can be yourself. It can also mean "secure" — a family that, though not rich, lives a comfortable lifestyle, meaning they have considerable savings, or you feeling comfortable speaking Spanish in Chile, meaning you trust your ability to communicate.
Vocabulary lists containing comfortable
Stay Strong: Forc and Fort
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A Wealth Of Words: Synonyms for "Rich"
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"The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet," Vocabulary from Act 5
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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.
Once institutional firms get used to the format of the markets, they may become more comfortable trading on them—and Kalshi recently received a license from the National Futures Association to open up margin trading.
From Barron's • Apr. 15, 2026
After the 1-1 draw, the Real boss noted the Frenchman "feels very comfortable as a defensive midfielder".
From BBC • Apr. 15, 2026
Bratt said he has toned down some snippiness at news conferences when he doesn’t like a question, and looks comfortable hobnobbing with athletes and celebrities on the red carpet.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 14, 2026
But he felt comfortable enough to tell her.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 13, 2026
I never dared question them, preferring to get comfortable with them, rather than risk being tossed aside for taking her side.
From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam
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.
