| The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 2000. |
| |
| comfort |
| |
| SYLLABICATION: | com·fort |
| PRONUNCIATION: |  k m f rt |
| TRANSITIVE VERB: | Inflected forms: com·fort·ed, com·fort·ing, com·forts
1. To soothe in time of affliction or distress. 2. To ease physically; relieve. | | NOUN: | 1. A condition or feeling of pleasurable ease, well-being, and contentment. 2. Solace in time of grief or fear. 3. Help; assistance: gave comfort to the enemy. 4. One that brings or provides comfort. 5. The capacity to give physical ease and well-being: enjoying the comfort of my favorite chair. 6. Chiefly Southern & Lower Northern U.S. A quilted bedcover; a comforter. | | ETYMOLOGY: | Middle English comforten, from Old French conforter, to strengthen, from Late Latin c nfort re : Latin com-, intensive pref.; see com– + Latin fortis, strong; see bhergh-2 in Appendix I. | | OTHER FORMS: | comfort·ing·ly —ADVERB
| | SYNONYMS: | comfort, console1, solace These verbs mean to give hope or help to in time of grief or pain: comforted the distressed child; consoling a recent widow; solaced myself with a hot cup of coffee See also synonyms at amenity.
| | |
| |
| The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by the Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. |
|
|
