What does "comfort" mean?
Contentment, ease.
Comfort
/ˈkʌm.fət/ name, noun, verb
name, noun, verb ·Very common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Contentment, ease.
- Grammar: comfort is listed as name, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: consolation, console, ease, solace.
- Useful contrasts: abashed, agitated, agonising.
- Usage evidence: The nurses must see to the comfort of their patients.
How to use "comfort"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "comfort" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "comfort" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "comfort" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "comfort" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "comfort" is acting as name, noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "consolation" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "comfort", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 Contentment, ease. countable, uncountable
"Sleep in comfort with our new mattress."
- 2 assistance, such as that provided to an enemy or to a known criminal wordnet
- 3 Something that offers comfort. countable, uncountable
"the comforts of home"
- 4 the act of consoling; giving relief in affliction wordnet
- 5 A consolation; something relieving suffering or worry. countable, uncountable
"We still have the spare tire? That's a comfort at least."
Show 6 more definitions
- 6 bedding made of two layers of cloth filled with stuffing and stitched together wordnet
- 7 A cause of relief or satisfaction. countable, uncountable
"The outcome of the peace negotiations in Moscow in 1940 was a heavy blow to the young nation, but in the same time a great comfort: at least the independency was preserved."
- 8 a feeling of freedom from worry or disappointment wordnet
- 9 satisfaction or physical well-being provided by a person or thing wordnet
- 10 a state of being relaxed and feeling no pain wordnet
- 11 a freedom from financial difficulty that promotes a comfortable state wordnet
Verb
- 1 To relieve the distress or suffering of; to provide comfort to. transitive
"Rob comforted Aaron because he was lost and very sad."
- 2 lessen pain or discomfort; alleviate wordnet
- 3 To make strong; to invigorate; to fortify; to corroborate. obsolete
"God's own testimony […] doth not a little comfort and confirm the same."
- 4 give moral or emotional strength to wordnet
- 5 To assist or help; to aid. obsolete
"I […] cannot help the noble chevalier: / God comfort him in this necessity!"
Proper Noun
- 1 A surname. countable, uncountable
- 2 A female given name. countable, uncountable
- 3 A place in the United States:; A township in Kanabec County, Minnesota. countable, uncountable
- 4 A place in the United States:; An unincorporated community in Jones County, North Carolina. countable, uncountable
- 5 A place in the United States:; A census-designated place in Kendall County, Texas. countable, uncountable
Show 2 more definitions
- 6 A place in the United States:; A census-designated place in Boone County, West Virginia. countable, uncountable
- 7 A place in the United States:; An unincorporated community in the town of Weston, Dunn County, Wisconsin. countable, uncountable
Example
"The nurses must see to the comfort of their patients."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "comfort"?
Common synonyms include: consolation, console, ease, solace, solace, soothe.
How do you use "comfort" in a sentence?
The nurses must see to the comfort of their patients.
How do you pronounce "comfort"?
Pronounced /ˈkʌm.fət/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Middle English comfort, from Old French cunfort, confort, from the stem of Late Latin confortō. It replaced Old English frofor, Middle English frovre.
Etymology 2
From Middle English comforten, from Old French conforter, from Late Latin confortō (“to strengthen greatly”), itself from Latin con- (“together”) + fortis (“strong”).
Etymology 3
From the English word comfort.