comfort

See also: Comfort

English

Etymology

• The verb is from Middle English comforten, from Old French conforter, from Late Latin confortō (“to strengthen greatly”), itself from Latin con- (“together”) + fortis (“strong”).
• The noun is from Middle English comfort, from Old French cunfort, confort, from the stem of Late Latin confortō. It replaced Old English frofor, Middle English frovre.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈkʌm.fət/
• (Northern England) IPA^(key): /ˈkʊm.fət/
• (General American) enPR: kŭm'fərt, IPA^(key): /ˈkʌm.fɚt/, [ˈkʰʌɱ.fɚt]
• (obsolete) enPR: kŭmfôrt', IPA^(key): /kʌmˈfɔɹt/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

Noun

comfort (countable and uncountable, plural comforts)

1. Contentment, ease.

   Sleep in comfort with our new mattress.

   • 1684, chapter III, in Bucaniers of America: Or, A True Account of the Moſt Remarkable Aſſaults Committed of Late Years Upon the Coaſts of the West-Indies, by Bucaniers of Jamica and Tortuga, Both English and French; Wherein are Contained More Eſpecially, the Unparallel'd Exploits of Sir Henry Morgan, Our Engliſh Jamaican Hero, who ſack'd Puerto Velo, Burnt Panama. &c [Part II]‎^[1], volume 1, London: Printed for William Crooke, translation of De Americaensche Zee-Roovers, […] by John Eſquemeling, page 30:

     But all was in vain: For having ranged up and down the Woods for ſome days, without finding the leaſt comfort to their hungry deſires, they were forced to return again unto the River. […] At laſt they arrived at the Coaſt of the Sea, where they found ſome comfort and relief to their former miſeries, and alſo means to ſeek more.

   • 1850, T. S. Arthur, “A Rise in the Butter Market”, in Sketches of Life and Character‎^[2], Philadelphia: J. W. Bradley, →OCLC, page 59:

     How often is the comfort of a whole family abridged by some trifling circumstance, that ought not to have made a visible impression!

   • 1937 September 21, J[ohn] R[onald] R[euel] Tolkien, chapter I, in The Hobbit: Or There and Back Again, 3rd edition, London: Unwin Books, George Allen & Unwin, published 1966 (1970 printing), →ISBN, page 1:

     In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, […] nor yet a dry, bare, sandy hole […] : it was a hobbit-hole, and that means comfort.

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.

Synonyms

• liss

Antonyms

• (antonym(s) of "contentment, ease"): austerity

Derived terms

• cold comfort
• comfortability
• comfortable
• comfort break
• comfort-eat
• comfort eating
• comfort fic
• comfort food
• comfort girl
• comfort letter
• comfort noise
• comfort room
• comfort station
• comfort stop
• comfort tone
• comfort woman
• comfort zone
• creature comfort
• discomfort
• Dutch comfort
• Job's comfort
• Lawson comfort criterion
• letter of comfort
• lip comfort
• too close for comfort

 

Translations

contentment, ease

• Arabic: رَاحَة f (rāḥa)
• Belarusian: выго́да f (vyhóda), зру́чнасць f (zrúčnascʹ), камфо́рт m (kamfórt)
• Bengali: আরাম (bn) (aram)
• Bulgarian: удо́бство (bg) n (udóbstvo)
• Catalan: comoditat (ca) f, confort (ca) m
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 舒適／舒适 (zh) (shūshì)

• Czech: pohodlí (cs) n
• Danish: behagelighed c, bekvemmelighed c, komfort c
• Dutch: comfort (nl) n, gemak (nl) n
• Esperanto: komforto (eo)
• Finnish: mukavuus (fi)
• French: confort (fr) m
• Galician: conforto (gl) m, conforte m, comodidade (gl) f, conchego m
• German: Behaglichkeit (de) f, Bequemlichkeit (de) f, Komfort (de) m
• Gothic: 𐌰𐌶𐌴𐍄𐌹 n (azēti)
• Greek: άνεση (el) f (ánesi)

  Ancient: ἄνεσις f (ánesis)

• Hebrew: נוחות (he) f (nokhút)
• Hindi: आराम (hi) (ārām)
• Hungarian: kényelem (hu)
• Indonesian: kenyamanan (id)
• Irish: compord m, só m

  Old Irish: sádaile f, sádailecht f

• Italian: agio (it) m, comodità (it) f
• Japanese: 快適さ (かいてきさ, kaitekisa)
• Latvian: ērtība f
• Lithuanian: please add this translation if you can
• Macedonian: удобност f (udobnost)
• Malayalam: സുഖം (ml) (sukhaṁ)
• Maori: oranga ngākau, āhurutanga, hāneaneatanga
• Papiamentu: fasilidat
• Persian: راحت (fa) (râhat), آسایش (fa) (âsâyeš)
• Plautdietsch: Jemak n
• Polish: wygoda (pl) f, komfort (pl) m
• Portuguese: conforto (pt) m
• Romanian: confort (ro)
• Russian: удо́бство (ru) n (udóbstvo), комфо́рт (ru) m (komfórt), ую́т (ru) m (ujút)
• Serbo-Croatian: komfor (sh) m
• Slovak: pohodlie n
• Slovene: udobje n
• Somali: raaxo (so)
• Spanish: comodidad (es) f
• Swedish: bekvämlighet (sv) c, komfort (sv) c
• Tajik: қулай (qulay), роҳат (rohat)
• Turkish: konfor (tr)
• Ukrainian: зру́чність f (zrúčnistʹ), вигі́дність f (vyhídnistʹ), комфо́рт (uk) m (komfórt)
• Uyghur: پاراغەت (paraghet), راھەت (rahet)

consolation

• Bashkir: йыуаныс (yıwanıs)
• Belarusian: уцяшэ́нне n (ucjašénnje), суцяшэ́нне n (sucjašénnje)
• Bulgarian: утеха (bg) f (uteha)
• Catalan: consol (ca) m
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 安慰 (zh) (ānwèi)

• Czech: pohodlí (cs) n
• Danish: trøst (da) c
• Dutch: troost (nl)
• Faroese: uggi m
• Finnish: lohtu (fi), lohdutus (fi)
• Galician: consolo m, bago (gl) m, albenda f, conorto m, conforto (gl) m
• German: Trost (de) m, Tröstung f
• Gothic: 𐌲𐌰𐌸𐌻𐌰𐌹𐌷𐍄𐍃 f (gaþlaihts)
• Greek: παρηγοριά (el) f (parigoriá)
• Hebrew: נחמה (he) f (nekhamá)
• Hungarian: vigasz (hu), vigasztalás (hu)
• Irish: sólás m
• Japanese: 慰め (なぐさめ, nagusame)
• Latin: sōlāmen n
• Malayalam: സമാധാനം (ml) (samādhānaṁ)
• Maori: tupoho
• Plautdietsch: Troost m
• Polish: pociecha (pl) f
• Portuguese: conforto (pt) m, consolo (pt) m
• Romanian: consolare (ro) f
• Russian: утеше́ние (ru) n (utešénije)
• Serbo-Croatian: utjeha (sh) f, uteha f
• Spanish: consuelo (es) m
• Swedish: tröst (sv) c
• Tocharian B: tsārwäṣṣälyñe
• Ukrainian: утіша́ння n (utišánnja)
• Walloon: ricfoirt (wa) m
• Welsh: cysur m
• Yiddish: טרייסט f (treyst)

cause of relief or satisfaction

• Bulgarian: разтуха (bg) f (raztuha), облекчение (bg) n (oblekčenie)
• Catalan: benestar (ca) m
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 安逸 (zh) (ānyì)

• Dutch: troost (nl), gemak (nl) n
• Finnish: helpotus (fi)
• Galician: consolo m, bago (gl) m, albenda f, conorto m, conforto (gl) m
• German: Trost (de) m, Tröstung f
• Hebrew: נחמה (he) f (nekhamá)
• Hungarian: enyhület
• Indonesian: kepuasan (id)
• Portuguese: conforto (pt) m, consolo (pt) m
• Russian: уте́ха (ru) f (utéxa), утеше́ние (ru) n (utešénije)
• Serbo-Croatian: utjeha (sh) f, uteha f
• Swedish: tröst (sv) c

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

• Afrikaans: ^{(please verify)} behaaglikheid
• Albanian: ^{(please verify)} rehat (sq)
• Estonian: ^{(please verify)} lohutus
• French: ^{(please verify)} confort (fr)
• Hindi: ^{(please verify)} dhairya
• Icelandic: ^{(please verify)} hugga (is)
• Italian: ^{(please verify)} benessere (it)
• Korean: ^{(please verify)} 안락(安樂) (ko) (allak)
• Latvian: ^{(please verify)} mierinājums
• Mongolian: ^{(please verify)} тайтгарал (mn) (tajtgaral)
• Norwegian: ^{(please verify)} bekvemmelighet (no)
• Romanian: ^{(please verify)} confort (ro)
• Scottish Gaelic: ^{(please verify)} comhurtachd f, ^{(please verify)} cothrom m, ^{(please verify)} sàsadh m, ^{(please verify)} sìoch f, ^{(please verify)} socair f, ^{(please verify)} sòlas m
• Serbo-Croatian: ^{(please verify)} udobnost (sh)
• Serbo-Croatian: ^{(please verify)} zadovoljstvo (sh)
• Serbo-Croatian: ^{(please verify)} задовољство (zadovoljstvo)
• Slovak: ^{(please verify)} potešovať
• Slovene: ^{(please verify)} udobje n, ^{(please verify)} uteha (sl) f
• Swahili: ^{(please verify)} anasa
• Swedish: ^{(please verify)} bekvämlighet (sv), ^{(please verify)} tröst (sv)
• Tagalog: ^{(please verify)} aliw (tl)
• Telugu: ^{(please verify)} సౌకర్యము (te) (saukaryamu)
• Thai: ^{(please verify)} คนหรือสิ่งอำนวยความสะดวก (kon rĕu sìng am-nuay kwaam sà-dùak)
• Turkish: ^{(please verify)} rahat (tr)
• Ukrainian: ^{(please verify)} виго́да (vyhóda)
• Vietnamese: ^{(please verify)} sự an ủi
• Welsh: ^{(please verify)} cysur

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.

   • 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Psalms 86:17:

     Shew me a token foꝛ good, that they which hate me may ſee it, and bee aſhamed: becauſe thou, Lord, hast holpen me, and comfoꝛted me.

   • 1631, Francis [Bacon], “(please specify |century=I to X)”, in Sylua Syluarum: Or A Naturall Historie. In Ten Centuries. […], 3rd edition, London: […] William Rawley; [p]rinted by J[ohn] H[aviland] for William Lee […], →OCLC:

     Light, above all things, excelleth in comforting the spirits of men.

2. (obsolete) To make strong; to invigorate; to fortify; to corroborate.
   • 1594–1597, Richard Hooker, edited by J[ohn] S[penser], Of the Lawes of Ecclesiastical Politie, […], London: […] Will[iam] Stansby [for Matthew Lownes], published 1611, →OCLC, (please specify the page):

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

3. (obsolete) To assist or help; to aid.
   • 1591 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The First Part of Henry the Sixt”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene iii]:

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

Synonyms

• besoothe

Derived terms

• comforter
• comforting (adjective, noun)

Translations

to provide comfort to — see also console

• Albanian:

  Arbëresh: fqerënj

• Arabic: وَاسَى (wāsā), عَزَّى (ʕazzā), سَلَّى (sallā)
• Armenian: մխիթարել (hy) (mxitʻarel), սփոփել (hy) (spʻopʻel)
• Azerbaijani: ürək-dirək vermək
• Belarusian: супако́йваць impf (supakójvacʹ), супако́іць pf (supakóicʹ), заспако́йваць impf (zaspakójvacʹ), заспако́іць pf (zaspakóicʹ), уцяша́ць impf (ucjašácʹ), уце́шыць pf (ucjéšycʹ)
• Bulgarian: утешавам (bg) (utešavam), успокоявам (bg) (uspokojavam)
• Catalan: consolar (ca), confortar (ca)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 安慰 (zh) (ānwèi), 寬慰／宽慰 (zh) (kuānwèi); ^{(please verify)} 使宽慰

• Dutch: troosten (nl)
• Finnish: lohduttaa (fi), rauhoittaa (fi)
• French: consoler (fr)
• German: trösten (de), ermutigen (de)
• Gothic: 𐌲𐌰𐌸𐌻𐌰𐌹𐌷𐌰𐌽 (gaþlaihan), 𐌸𐍂𐌰𐍆𐍃𐍄𐌾𐌰𐌽 (þrafstjan)
• Greek: παρηγορώ (el) (parigoró)

  Ancient: παρηγορέω (parēgoréō)

• Hebrew: הרגיע (hirgía), ניחם (nikhém)
• Japanese: 慰める (ja) (なぐめる, nagumeru)
• Kalmyk: төвкнүлх (tövknülx)
• Latin: consōlor, alloquor (la)
• Maori: ^{(please verify)} whakaahuru, ^{(please verify)} whakamāhorahora
• Ngazidja Comorian: utruliza
• Portuguese: confortar (pt), reconfortar (pt)
• Russian: успока́ивать (ru) impf (uspokáivatʹ), успоко́ить (ru) pf (uspokóitʹ), утеша́ть (ru) impf (utešátʹ), уте́шить (ru) pf (utéšitʹ)
• Slovak: uteší
• Spanish: confortar (es)
• Turkish: ferahlatmak (tr), teselli etmek (tr) (usually for someone's loss)
• Ukrainian: заспоко́ювати impf (zaspokójuvaty), заспоко́їти pf (zaspokójity), утиша́ти impf (utyšáty), ути́шити pf (utýšyty)
• West Frisian: treastgje
• Yiddish: טרייסטן (treystn)

Dutch

Etymology

From Middle Dutch confoort, from Old French confort.

Pronunciation

• (Netherlands) IPA^(key): /kɔmˈfɔːr/
• (Belgium) IPA^(key): /kɔmˈfɔr(t)/

• Audio

  (file)

• Hyphenation: com‧fort

Noun

comfort n (plural comforts, diminutive comfortje n)

1. Physical comfort, ease.

Derived terms

• comfortabel
• ligcomfort
• rijcomfort
• zitcomfort

Middle English

Alternative forms

• cumfort, confort, counfort

Etymology

Borrowed from Old French cunfort, confort.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kumˈfɔrt/, /kun-/

Noun

comfort (plural comforts)

1. encouragement, assurance

Descendants

• English: comfort
• Yola: comfoort

References

• “cǒmfort, n.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.