Comforting — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

verb adjective noun /ˈkəm(p)-fərt/ com·fort

Meaning & Definition of Comforting

Comforting (verb)

  1. to give strength and hope to, cheer
  2. to ease the grief or trouble of, console

Comforting (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. making one feel good inside

    "the comforting smell of fresh bread"

    similar: cheering, encouraging, fulfilling, gladdening, gratifying, heartening, heartwarming, rewarding, satisfying
    related: affecting, inspiring, inspiriting, moving, poignant, stirring, touching, edifying, elevating, uplifting, sympathetic, tender, kind, kindly, loving, warm, animating, enlivening, exciting, exhilarating, invigorating, rousing, stimulating, thrilling, pleasing, pleasurable, welcoming
    opposite: demoralizing, depressing, discouraging, disheartening, dispiriting
    near: cheerless, disappointing, disgruntling, displeasing, dissatisfying, heartbreaking, heartrending, saddening, discomforting, disconcerting, dismaying, distressing, disturbing, upsetting, cold, unfeeling, unfriendly, unkind, unloving, unpleasant

  2. tending to calm the emotions and relieve stress

    "a long comforting soak in a hot bath"

    similar: calming, dreamy, lulling, narcotic, pacifying, quieting, relaxing, sedative, soothing, tranquilizing
    related: hypnotic, opiate, analgesic, anesthetic, anodyne, deadening, depressant, numbing, antianxiety, antidepressant, antidepression, antistress
    near: painful, stressful, tiresome, troubling, trying, unsettling, worrisome, energizing, invigorating, stimulant, stimulating, aggravating, annoying, bothersome, disturbing, exasperating, frustrating, galling, grating, harassing, irksome, irritating, maddening, nettlesome, troublesome, vexatious, vexing

Comforting (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. the giving of hope and strength in times of grief, distress, or suffering

    "the comforting of the sick has always been regarded as one of the major acts of charity"

    similar: consolation, consoling, reassurance, solace, solacing
    related: commiseration, compassion, condolence, feeling, sympathy, counseling, humanity, kindheartedness, kindliness, kindness, mercy, pity

Comforting (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to ease the grief or distress of

    "the first responders did their best to comfort the victims of the terrible tornado"

    similar: assuring, cheering, consoling, reassuring, solacing, soothing
    related: commiserating, condoling, empathizing, sympathizing, boosting, buoying (up), elevating, lifting, uplifting, allaying, alleviating, assuaging, relieving, calming, quieting, relaxing, tranquilizing
    opposite: distressing, tormenting, torturing, troubling
    near: demoralizing, discouraging, disheartening, fretting, upsetting, worrying, aggravating, intensifying, worsening, annoying, irking, irritating, harassing, pestering

Related Entry: Comfort (verb)

Comfort is a different word from Comforting. The synonyms below are for comfort, not for comforting.

  1. to ease the grief or distress of

    "the first responders did their best to comfort the victims of the terrible tornado"

    similar: assure, cheer, console, reassure, solace, soothe
    related: commiserate, condole, empathize, sympathize, boost, buoy (up), elevate, lift, uplift, allay, alleviate, assuage, relieve, calm, quiet, relax, tranquilize
    opposite: distress, torment, torture, trouble
    near: demoralize, discourage, dishearten, fret, upset, worry, aggravate, intensify, worsen, annoy, irk, irritate, harass, pester

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Comforting

The most common words with a similar meaning to Comforting:

cheering, encouraging, fulfilling, gladdening, gratifying, heartening, heartwarming, rewarding, satisfying, calming, dreamy, lulling, narcotic, pacifying, quieting, relaxing, sedative, soothing, tranquilizing, consolation, consoling, reassurance, solace, solacing, assuring, reassuring

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Comforting

Words with the opposite meaning of Comforting:

demoralizing, depressing, discouraging, disheartening, dispiriting, distressing, tormenting, torturing, troubling

Related Words for Comforting

affecting, inspiring, inspiriting, moving, poignant, stirring, touching, edifying, elevating, uplifting, sympathetic, tender, kind, kindly, loving, warm, animating, enlivening, exciting, exhilarating, invigorating, rousing, stimulating, thrilling, pleasing, pleasurable, welcoming, hypnotic, opiate, analgesic

Near Antonyms of Comforting

cheerless, disappointing, disgruntling, displeasing, dissatisfying, heartbreaking, heartrending, saddening, discomforting, disconcerting, dismaying, disturbing, upsetting, cold, unfeeling, unfriendly, unkind, unloving, unpleasant, painful, stressful, tiresome, trying, unsettling, worrisome, energizing, invigorating, stimulant, stimulating, aggravating

Word Forms of Comforting

Inflections: comforted, comforts

Derived words: comfortingly (adverb)

Origin & Etymology of Comforting

Middle English comforten, conforten "to strengthen spiritually, inspire with courage, exort, cheer up, encourage, invigorate," borrowed from Anglo-French conforter, comforter, borrowed from Late Latin confortāre "to strengthen, restore strength to, invigorate, cure" (Medieval Latin also "to cheer, reassure"), from Latin con- con- + Late Latin -fortāre, verbal derivative of Latin fortis "strong, robust" fort

First known use: 13th century

Frequently Asked Questions about Comforting

What does "Comforting" mean?

"Comforting" means to give strength and hope to, cheer. As an a verb, an adjective and a noun, it is defined as: to give strength and hope to, cheer. It has 4 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Comforting"?

Other words for "Comforting" include cheering, encouraging, fulfilling, gladdening, gratifying, heartening, heartwarming and rewarding. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Comforting" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Comforting"?

There are 88 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Comforting". Common alternatives include cheering, encouraging, fulfilling, gladdening, gratifying, heartening, heartwarming, rewarding, satisfying and calming.

What is the opposite of "Comforting"?

Antonyms of "Comforting" include demoralizing, depressing, discouraging, disheartening, dispiriting, distressing, tormenting and torturing. Near antonyms include cheerless, disappointing, disgruntling and displeasing.

How do you use "Comforting" in a sentence?

Examples of "Comforting" in a sentence: "the comforting smell of fresh bread"; "a long comforting soak in a hot bath"; "the comforting of the sick has always been regarded as one of the major acts of charity".

Is "Comforting" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Comforting" can be used as a verb, an adjective and a noun, depending on the context.

How do you pronounce "Comforting"?

"Comforting" is pronounced /ˈkəm(p)-fərt/ and divided into syllables as com·fort.

What is the origin of the word "Comforting"?

"Comforting" comes from Middle English comforten, conforten "to strengthen spiritually, inspire with courage, exort, cheer up, encourage, invigorate," borrowed from Anglo-French conforter, comforter, borrowed from Late Latin confortāre "to strengthen, restore strength to, invigorate, cure" (Medieval Latin also "to cheer, reassure"), from Latin con- con- + Late Latin -fortāre, verbal derivative of Latin fortis "strong, robust" fort. First known use: 13th century.