comfort
gb/kˈʌmfɚt/ us/kˈʌmfɚt/
A2
English
~ 2900
Senses
0 senses
Noun
A2
state
1
A state of ease or relief
A feeling of being relaxed, safe, and free from pain or worry.
Usage pattern:
[someone] feels comfort in [something/someone]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'comfort' with 'comfortable'. 'Comfort' is a noun; 'comfortable' is an adjective.
Synonyms
ease (Similar in meaning but slightly more focused on the absence of difficulty rather than reassurance.)
|
relief (Focuses more on the end of discomfort rather than ongoing ease.)
Antonyms
discomfort (The opposite state — physical or emotional unease.)
Collocations
seek comfort
|find comfort
|offer comfort
|comfort food
|comfort zone
Themes
emotions
|daily life
|health
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- She found comfort in talking to her best friend.
- The soft blanket gave him great comfort on the cold night.
- Music was his only comfort after the breakup.
Learner examples
- I feel comfort when I sit by the fire.
- Her kind words gave me comfort.
- This chair gives me comfort when I read.
Verb
A2
action
2
To ease someone's distress
To help someone feel better when they are sad or worried.
Usage pattern:
to comfort [someone]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'comfort' as a verb with 'be comfortable'. The verb means to help someone feel better emotionally, not to make yourself physically at ease.
Synonyms
console (More formal and often used in serious or solemn situations.)
|
reassure (Focuses more on removing worry rather than sadness.)
Antonyms
distress (To cause someone emotional pain or worry.)
Collocations
comfort a child
|comfort the sick
|comfort the bereaved
Themes
emotions
|daily life
|relationships
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- She tried to comfort him after he lost his job.
- The teacher comforted the frightened student.
- He comforted his friend with kind words.
Learner examples
- I comfort my sister when she cries.
- He comforted me after I failed the test.
- She comforted her dog during the storm.
Noun
B1
entity
3
A pleasant feature or convenience
Something that makes your life easier or more enjoyable.
Synonyms
luxury (Implies something expensive and not essential, whereas 'comfort' can be simple and necessary.)
Antonyms
hardship (A condition lacking ease, convenience, or pleasant features.)
Collocations
modern comforts
|home comforts
|basic comforts
Themes
daily life
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The hotel offers all the modern comforts you could wish for.
- After years of hardship, they finally enjoyed the comforts of home.
- Camping means giving up some basic comforts.
Learner examples
- The room has many comforts like a sofa and TV.
- I enjoy the comforts of my home.
- We lost many comforts during the trip.
Grammar
Dictionary form
comfort
IPA
GB/kˈʌmfɚt/
US/kˈʌmfɚt/
Syllables & stress
com - fort (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (com)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: comfort
- Plural: comfort, comforts
Verb
- Base: comfort
- 3rd Person Singular: comforts
- Present Participle: comforting
- Past: comforted
Word family
Forms
comforts
noun
comforting
verb
comforted
verb
Core family
comfortable
adjective A2
comfortably
adverb B1
Related words
comfy
adjective
comforter
noun
Negative and opposite forms
Advanced or less common
comfortingly
adverb
Expressions
comfort zone
1/kˈʌmfɚt zˈoʊn/
fixed phrase
A safe, familiar situation or routine
A place or situation where you feel safe and do not have to do anything new or difficult.
Examples
- She needs to step out of her comfort zone to grow as a person.
- Traveling alone took him far from his comfort zone.
creature comforts
1/kɹˈit͡ʃɚ kˈʌmfɚts/
fixed phrase
Things that make life pleasant and easy
Things that make life comfortable, like good food, warm clothes, and a nice home.
Examples
- After a week of camping, she missed her creature comforts.
- The hotel room had all the creature comforts you could imagine.
cold comfort
1/kˈoʊld kˈʌmfɚt/
idiom
Consolation that is not very helpful
Something that is meant to make you feel better but is not really helpful or satisfying.
Examples
- It was cold comfort to know others had failed too.
- His apology was cold comfort after all the trouble he caused.
cold comfort
2/kˈoʊld kˈʌmfɚt/
idiom
comfort that is not enough
Something that makes you feel only a little better, and not enough to make up for the bad situation.
Examples
- Being told it could have been worse was cold comfort after losing his job.
- The refund was cold comfort compared to the trouble they caused.