comfortable

English Online Dictionary. What means comfortable‎? What does comfortable mean?

English

Alternative forms

• comfterble / comftorble (eye dialect)

Etymology

From Middle English comfortable, from Old French confortable, from conforter. By surface analysis, comfort +‎ -able.

Pronunciation

• (General American, Canada)
  • enPR: kŭmf'təbl, kŭmf'tərbl, kŭm'fərtəbl, kŭm'fətəbl
  • IPA^(key): /ˈkʌmf.tə.bəl/, /ˈkʌmf.təɹ.bəl/, /ˈkʌm.fəɹ.tə.bəl/, /ˈkʌm.fə.tə.bəl/
• (Standard Southern British)
  • enPR: kŭmf'təbl IPA^(key): /ˈkʌmf.tə.bəl/, /ˈkʌmpf.təbəl/
  • enPR: kŭm'fətəbl IPA^(key): /ˈkʌm.fə.tə.bəl/
• (New Zealand, General Australian)
  • enPR: kŭmf'təbl
  • IPA^(key): /ˈkɐmf.tə.bəl/, [ˈkʰɐɱf.tɘ.bɫ̩]

Adjective

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

1. Providing physical comfort and ease; agreeable. [from 18th c.]
2. In a state of comfort and content. [from 18th c.]
3. Confident; relaxed; not worried about someone or something.
4. Amply sufficient, satisfactory. [from 17th c.]
5. (obsolete) Comforting, providing comfort; consolatory. [14th–19th c.]
6. (obsolete) Strong; vigorous; valiant.
7. (obsolete) Serviceable; helpful.

Usage notes

Although the word comfortable looks (etymonically) like one of its senses could be synonymous with consolable, it does not have that sense; the absence of that sense is simply a lexical gap. In parallel, the same is true of comfortability and consolability, as well as uncomfortable and inconsolable.

Synonyms

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

Antonyms

• comfortless, uncomfortable

Derived terms

Related terms

• comforter
• discomfort

Descendants

• Dutch: comfortabel

Translations

Noun

comfortable (plural comfortables)

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

Middle English

Etymology

From Old French confortable, from conforter; equivalent to comfort +‎ -able.

Adjective

comfortable

1. comfortable
2. strong; vigorous

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

Descendants

• English: comfortable