COMFORT

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does comfort mean? 

• COMFORT (noun)
  The noun COMFORT has 7 senses:

1. a state of being relaxed and feeling no pain

2. a feeling of freedom from worry or disappointment

3. the act of consoling; giving relief in affliction

4. a freedom from financial difficulty that promotes a comfortable state

5. satisfaction or physical well-being provided by a person or thing

6. bedding made of two layers of cloth filled with stuffing and stitched together

7. assistance, such as that provided to an enemy or to a known criminal

  Familiarity information: COMFORT used as a noun is common.

• COMFORT (verb)
  The verb COMFORT has 2 senses:

1. give moral or emotional strength to

2. lessen pain or discomfort; alleviate

  Familiarity information: COMFORT used as a verb is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• COMFORT (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A state of being relaxed and feeling no pain

Classified under:

Nouns denoting stable states of affairs

Synonyms:

comfort; comfortableness

Context example:

she longed for the comfortableness of her armchair

Hypernyms ("comfort" is a kind of...):

condition; status (a state at a particular time)

Attribute:

comfortable; comfy (providing or experiencing physical well-being or relief ('comfy' is informal))

uncomfortable (providing or experiencing physical discomfort)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "comfort"):

ease; relief (the condition of being comfortable or relieved (especially after being relieved of distress))

solace; solacement (comfort in disappointment or misery)

cosiness; coziness; snugness (a state of warm snug comfort)

convenience (the state of being suitable or opportune)

Antonym:

discomfort (the state of being tense and feeling pain)

Derivation:

comfort (lessen pain or discomfort; alleviate)

Sense 2

Meaning:

A feeling of freedom from worry or disappointment

Classified under:

Nouns denoting feelings and emotions

Hypernyms ("comfort" is a kind of...):

pleasance; pleasure (a fundamental feeling that is hard to define but that people desire to experience)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "comfort"):

consolation; solace; solacement (the comfort you feel when consoled in times of disappointment)

alleviation; assuagement; relief (the feeling that comes when something burdensome is removed or reduced)

Sense 3

Meaning:

The act of consoling; giving relief in affliction

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

comfort; consolation; solace

Context example:

his presence was a consolation to her

Hypernyms ("comfort" is a kind of...):

ministration; relief; succor; succour (assistance in time of difficulty)

Derivation:

comfort (give moral or emotional strength to)

Sense 4

Meaning:

A freedom from financial difficulty that promotes a comfortable state

Classified under:

Nouns denoting stable states of affairs

Synonyms:

comfort; ease

Context example:

he had all the material comforts of this world

Hypernyms ("comfort" is a kind of...):

affluence; richness (abundant wealth)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "comfort"):

lap of luxury (in conditions of wealth and comfort)

Sense 5

Meaning:

Satisfaction or physical well-being provided by a person or thing

Classified under:

Nouns denoting stable states of affairs

Context example:

a padded chair was one of the room's few comforts

Hypernyms ("comfort" is a kind of...):

gratification; satisfaction (state of being gratified or satisfied)

Sense 6

Meaning:

Bedding made of two layers of cloth filled with stuffing and stitched together

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Synonyms:

comfort; comforter; puff; quilt

Hypernyms ("comfort" is a kind of...):

bed clothing; bedclothes; bedding (coverings that are used on a bed)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "comfort"):

continental quilt; duvet; eiderdown (a soft quilt usually filled with the down of the eider)

patchwork; patchwork quilt (a quilt made by sewing patches of different materials together)

Derivation:

comfort (lessen pain or discomfort; alleviate)

Sense 7

Meaning:

Assistance, such as that provided to an enemy or to a known criminal

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Context example:

it gave comfort to the enemy

Hypernyms ("comfort" is a kind of...):

aid; assist; assistance; help (the activity of contributing to the fulfillment of a need or furtherance of an effort or purpose)

• COMFORT (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they comfort    ... he / she / it comforts   
Past simple: comforted   
Past participle: comforted   
-ing form: comforting   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Give moral or emotional strength to

Classified under:

Verbs of feeling

Synonyms:

comfort; console; solace; soothe

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "comfort"):

calm; calm down; lull; quiet; quieten; still; tranquilize; tranquillise; tranquillize (make calm or still)

allay; ease; relieve; still (lessen the intensity of or calm)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s somebody

Sentence example:

The good news will comfort her

Derivation:

comfort (the act of consoling; giving relief in affliction)

comforter (a person who reduces the intensity (e.g., of fears) and calms and pacifies)

comforter (a person who commiserates with someone who has had misfortune)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Lessen pain or discomfort; alleviate

Classified under:

Verbs of grooming, dressing and bodily care

Synonyms:

comfort; ease

Context example:

ease the pain in your legs

Hypernyms (to "comfort" is one way to...):

alleviate; assuage; palliate; relieve (provide physical relief, as from pain)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody

Derivation:

comfort (bedding made of two layers of cloth filled with stuffing and stitched together)

comfort (a state of being relaxed and feeling no pain)

comforter (device used for an infant to suck or bite on)

comforter (bedding made of two layers of cloth filled with stuffing and stitched together)

 Context examples 

There was hope in his words, and comfort; and they made for resignation.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

Let us sit down and talk in comfort.

(Northanger Abbey, by Jane Austen)

Will you take the lady below and see to her comfort?

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

The mother called them to her and comforted them, telling them not to bother White Fang.

(White Fang, by Jack London)

"It shall be a large igloo, wherein Ikeega and I can dwell in comfort."

(Love of Life and Other Stories, by Jack London)

Her spirits sank under the glow of theirs, and she felt herself becoming too nearly nothing to both to have any comfort in having been sought by either.

(Mansfield Park, by Jane Austen)

No—I have touched you, heard you, felt the comfort of your presence—the sweetness of your consolation: I cannot give up these joys.

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)

We soothed and comforted her by such words as we could find.

(The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Beth had a headache and lay on the sofa, trying to comfort herself with the cat and three kittens.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

Saturn will be in a comforting position and allow you to find ways to stabilize and multiply your money.

(AstrologyZone.com, by Susan Miller)