comfort
Americanverb (used with object)
noun
-
relief in affliction; consolation; solace.
Her presence was a comfort to him.
-
a feeling of relief or consolation.
Her forgiveness afforded him great comfort.
-
a person or thing that gives consolation.
She was a great comfort to him.
-
a cause or matter of relief or satisfaction.
The patient's recovery was a comfort to the doctor.
-
a state of ease and satisfaction of bodily wants, with freedom from pain and anxiety.
He is a man who enjoys his comfort.
-
something that promotes such a state.
His wealth allows him to enjoy a high degree of comfort.
-
Chiefly Midland and Southern U.S. a comforter or quilt.
-
Obsolete. strengthening aid; assistance.
noun
-
a state of ease or well-being
-
relief from affliction, grief, etc
-
a person, thing, or event that brings solace or ease
-
obsolete support
-
(usually plural) something that affords physical ease and relaxation
verb
-
to ease the pain of; soothe; cheer
-
to bring physical ease to
Synonym Usage
Comfort, console, relieve, soothe imply assuaging sorrow, worry, discomfort, or pain. To comfort is to lessen the sadness or sorrow of someone and to strengthen by inspiring with hope and restoring a cheerful outlook: to comfort a despairing person. Console, a more formal word, means to make grief or distress seem lighter, by means of kindness and thoughtful attentions: to console a bereaved parent. Relieve means to lighten, lessen, or remove pain, trouble, discomfort, or hardship: to relieve a needy person. Soothe means to pacify or calm: to soothe a child. See ease.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
-
comfortlessnessnoun
-
comfortingadjective
-
comfortlessadjective
-
uncomfortedadjective
-
comfortinglyadverb
-
comfortlesslyadverb
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
comfortsimple
-
comfortssimple
-
have comfortedperfect
-
has comfortedperfect
-
are comfortingprogressive
-
am comfortingprogressive
-
is comfortingprogressive
-
have been comfortingperfect progressive
-
has been comfortingperfect progressive
Past
-
comfortedsimple
-
had comfortedperfect
-
was comfortingprogressive
-
were comfortingprogressive
-
had been comfortingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of comfort
First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English verb comfortien, from Anglo-French, Old French conforter, from Late Latin confortāre “to strengthen,” equivalent to con- con- ( def. ) + -fortāre, verb suffix formed from Latin fortis “strong”; noun derived from the verb
Explanation
To comfort someone is to give solace or to soothe. You might comfort your brother when his favorite team gets knocked out of the playoffs. The verb comfort comes from the Latin word comfortare, which means “strengthen greatly.” To give comfort is to shore up the mood or physical state of someone else. It might take a long time to comfort your mother after her cat disappears. As a noun, comfort is anything that provides satisfaction or a relaxed and easy feeling. You might think that the comfort of your new shoes cannot be surpassed.
Vocabulary lists containing comfort
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!
"Romeo and Juliet" by William Shakespeare, Act III
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!
com-, con-
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.
Where Americans think of graphically violent procedurals as comfort watches, the British prefer their TV homicides to be much tidier: Serious violence occurs offscreen.
From Salon • Jun. 16, 2026
And I find that a comfort because it makes me feel like I’m more in control of my situation.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 16, 2026
"Knowing how much Jess was loved and respected has brought us comfort," they continued.
From BBC • Jun. 15, 2026
The investor motivation behind value’s biggest outperformance in years appears to be an increased comfort in the strength of the U.S. economy, a view that garnered support from strong May jobs data out last week.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 12, 2026
It made sense to me, but it didn’t bring me any comfort.
From "Rump: The (Fairly) True Story of Rumpelstilskin" by Liesl Shurtliff
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.
