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
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.
“I feel comfortable going no matter what, because we believe in destiny. We believe that God asks us and he wants us to go there,” he said.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 23, 2026
Though not practically helpful, it was a sweet attempt at making me more comfortable.
From Slate • May 23, 2026
Russell feels much more comfortable when the tyres are working in their natural temperature window, rather than always on the verge of being too hot.
From BBC • May 21, 2026
“He has an encyclopedic knowledge that’s similar to mine. I passed that test and we really got comfortable with each other.”
From Los Angeles Times • May 20, 2026
“After we get to the camper, you can rest as long as you want. You’ll be more comfortable on your bed than you are here, and you’ll have Raggedy to sleep with.”
From "Earthquake Terror" by Peg Kehret
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.
