comfortable

English

Etymology

From Anglo-Norman confortable, from Old French conforter. See comfort.

Pronunciation

• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈkʌm.ftɚ.bəl/
• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈkʌm.fɚ.tə.bəl/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

Adjective

comfortable (comparative comfortabler or more comfortable, superlative comfortablest or most comfortable)

1. (obsolete) Comforting, providing comfort; consolatory. [14th-19th c.]
   • 1621, Robert Burton, The Anatomy of Melancholy, II.2.6.ii:

     he was going to make away himself; but meeting by chance his master Plotinus, who, perceiving by his distracted looks all was not well, urged him to confess his grief; which when he had heard, he used such comfortable speeches, that he redeemed him e faucibus Erebi […]

   • John Dryden

     a comfortable provision made for their subsistence

2. Amply sufficient, satisfactory. [from 17th c.]

   A comfortable income should suffice to consider oneself rich.

   The home team is ahead by a comfortable margin.

   • 2011 September 18, Ben Dirs, “Rugby World Cup 2011: England 41-10 Georgia”, BBC Sport:

     When Hape sauntered over for a try after only three minutes it looked as if England were destined for a comfortable victory, but Georgia are made of sterner stuff, as they showed when running Scotland close in Invercargill last week.

3. Providing physical comfort and ease; agreeable. [from 18th c.]

   This is the most comfortable bed I've ever slept in.

   • 1913, Joseph C. Lincoln, chapter 8, Mr. Pratt's Patients:

     We toted in the wood and got the fire going nice and comfortable. Lord James still set in one of the chairs and Applegate had cabbaged the other and was hugging the stove.

4. In a state of comfort and content. [from 18th c.]

   What a great guestroom! I'll be quite comfortable here.

5. (obsolete) Strong; vigorous; valiant.

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

   • William Shakespeare

     Thy conceit is nearer death than thy powers. For my sake be comfortable; hold death a while at the arm's end.

6. (obsolete) Serviceable; helpful.
   • William Shakespeare

     Be comfortable to my mother, your mistress, and make much of her.

Synonyms

• (providing/enjoying comfort): comforting, comfy, cozy, eathful, restful, snug
• (safely reliable): safe

Antonyms

• comfortless, uncomfortable

Derived terms

Terms derived from comfort

comfortability comfortable in one's own skin

comfortableness comfortably

comfy

Related terms

• comforter
• discomfort

Translations

amply sufficient

• Finnish: turvallinen (fi)

providing physical comfort and ease

• Arabic: مريح (murīH), وثير (wathiir)
• Armenian: հարմար (harmar)
• Bulgarian: удобен (bg) (udoben), комфортен (bg) (komforten)
• Catalan: còmode
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 舒適, 舒适 (zh) (shūshì)

• Czech: pohodlný m
• Dutch: comfortabel (nl), gemakkelijk (nl)
• Esperanto: komforta
• Finnish: mukava (fi)
• French: confortable (fr)
• Georgian: please add this translation if you can
• German: komfortabel (de), bequem (de), behaglich (de), kommod (de)
• Greek: άνετος (el) (ánetos)
• Hindi: आरामदेह (ārāmdeh)
• Interlingua: commode

• Italian: confortevole, comodo (it) m
• Japanese: 快適 (かいてき, kaiteki)
• Latvian: ērts, komfortabls
• Malay: selesa
• Maori: āhuru
• Persian: راحت (fa) (râhat)
• Portuguese: confortável (pt)
• Russian: удобный (ru) m (udóbnyj), комфортабельный (ru) m (komfortábel’nyj), уютный (ru) m (ujútnyj)
• Scots: couthie
• Scottish Gaelic: cofhurtail, socrach, socair, sòlasach
• Serbo-Croatian: ȕdoban
• Spanish: confortable (es)
• Swedish: bekväm (sv), skön (sv), komfortabel (sv), behaglig (sv)
• Urdu: آرام دہ (ārāmdeh)

in a state of comfort

• Arabic: مرتاح (murtaaH)
• Armenian: հարմար (harmar)
• Bulgarian: уютен (bg) (ujuten), удобен (bg) (udoben)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 舒服 (zh) (shūfu)

• Dutch: comfortabel (nl), gemakkelijk (nl)
• Finnish: mukava (fi)
• German: gemütlich (de)

• Greek: άνετος (el) (ánetos)
• Italian: comodo (it) m
• Japanese: 気楽 (きらく, kiraku), 安楽 (あんらく, anraku)
• Latvian: ērts
• Russian: удобный (ru) m (udóbnyj), комфортабельный (ru) m (komfortábel’nyj), уютный (ru) m (ujútnyj)
• Swedish: bekväm (sv)

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Help:How to check translations.

Translations to be checked

• Bulgarian: надежден (bg) (nadežden), достатъчен (bg) (dostatǎčen), задоволителен (bg) (zadovolitelen)
• Czech: pohodlný m
• Danish: bekvem (1), komfortabel (1,2), solid (2)
• Dutch: comfortabel (nl), veilig (nl)
• Hebrew: נוח (noakh) m, נוחה (nokha) f (1,2)
• Italian: comodo (it)

• Maori: haumaru
• Scottish Gaelic: socrach, socair
• Spanish: confortable (es), cómodo (es)
• Telugu: సౌకర్యవంతమైన (saukaryavamtamaina)
• Turkish: rahat (tr)
• Zulu: -thulile

Noun

comfortable (plural comfortables)

1. (US) A stuffed or quilted coverlet for a bed; a comforter.