comfort

Etymology

From Old French conforter, from Late Latin confortāre, present active infinitive of confortō (“strengthen greatly”), itself from Latin con- (“together”) + fortis (“strong”).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈkʌm.fət/
• (US) enPR: kŭm'fərt, IPA^(key): /ˈkʌm.fɚt/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

Noun

comfort (countable and uncountable, plural comforts)

1. Contentment, ease.

   Sleep in comfort with our new mattress.

2. Something that offers comfort.

   the comforts of home

3. A consolation; something relieving suffering or worry.

   We still have the spare tire? That's a comfort at least.

4. A cause of relief or satisfaction.

   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.

Verb

comfort (third-person singular simple present comforts, present participle comforting, simple past and past participle comforted)

1. (transitive) To relieve the distress or suffering of; to provide comfort to.

   Rob comforted Aaron because he was lost and very sad.

   • Francis Bacon

     Light excelleth in comforting the spirits of men.

2. (transitive) To make comfortable. (Can we add an example for this sense?)
3. (obsolete) To make strong; to invigorate; to fortify; to corroborate.

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Wyclif to this entry?)

   • Hooker

     God's own testimony […] doth not a little comfort and confirm the same.

4. (obsolete) To assist or help; to aid.
   • Shakespeare

     I […] cannot help the noble chevalier: / God comfort him in this necessity!

Derived terms

Pronunciation

• Audio

  (file)

Noun

comfort n (plural comforts, diminutive comfortje n)

1. Physical comfort, ease