comfortable
Americanadjective
-
(of clothing, furniture, etc.) producing or affording physical comfort, support, or ease.
a comfortable chair;
comfortable shoes.
-
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.
-
(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.
-
more than adequate or sufficient.
a comfortable salary.
-
Obsolete. cheerful.
noun
adjective
-
giving comfort or physical relief
-
at ease
-
free from affliction or pain
-
(of a person or situation) relaxing
-
informal having adequate income
-
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
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
A Wealth Of Words: Synonyms for "Rich"
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
"The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet," Vocabulary from Act 5
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
I donate to charities and have created a scholarship, but those things don’t make my day-to-day life any happier, more comfortable or more satisfying.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 17, 2026
As Paul Waldman wrote Thursday in The Cross Section, in a halfway decent political system Simmons should be “settling into a comfortable retirement.”
From Salon • Apr. 17, 2026
However, the pair were unable to deliver in front of their home crowd with Van Veen out of sorts against a much-improved Humphries as the Englishman claimed a comfortable 6-2 win.
From BBC • Apr. 16, 2026
Costco sells its own private-label athleisure products with a similar comfortable and flattering fit at a fraction of the price.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 15, 2026
We had gotten used to one another, and I think both of us felt comfortable together.
From "An Elephant in the Garden" by Michael Morpurgo
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.
