Forms: 3 cun-, kunfort, 3–4 cumfort, 3–6 confort(e, 4 cumforte, -ford, conforth, -forþ, -fforte, counfort, comfortd, 4–5 coumforde, 4–6 cumforth, coumfort(e, comforth(e, -forte, 5 counforde, conford, -foorte, 5–6 comford(e, 6 -furth, coomfort, 4– comfort. [a. OF. cunfort, confort (11th c. in Littré) = It. and OSp. conforto, a sb. app. of Romanic age, from stem of confort-āre, OF. confort-er to COMFORT. It took the place of OE. frofor, with which it is used indifferently in enumerating the nine urouren or ‘comforts’ against temptations, in Ancren Riwle, p. 226 seq.]
† 1. Strengthening; encouragement, incitement; aid, succour, support, countenance. Upon comfort of: on the strength of. Obs. except in archaic legal use (in phr. aid and comfort).
a. 1225. Ancr. R., 14. Of fleschliche vondunges … & kunfort aȝeines ham.
[1352. Act 25 Edw. III., Stat. v. c. 2. Si home … soit aherdant as enemys nostre dit Seignour le Roi … donant a eux eid ou confort.]
c. 1400. Apol. Loll., 37. Þei þat consentun wiþ þe doars … or defendun, or ȝeuen conseyl or confort.
1460. Capgrave, Chron., 275. If … thei make ony gadering in coumfort of Richard, sumtyme Kyng, thei to be punchid as tretouris.
1493. Festivall (W. de W., 1515), 153 b. He came in company of recheles people, & by comforte of them he lefte his faste and dyde ete.
1528. Gardiner, in Strype, Eccl. Mem., I. App. xxiv. 62. Upon comfurth of such words as his Ho. had spoken unto us.
1622. Bacon, Hen. VII. The comfort that the rebels should receiue vnderhand from the Earle of Kildare.
1769. Blackstone, Comm., IV. 82. If a man be adherent to the king’s enemies … giving to them aid and comfort.
† b. concr. One who or that which strengthens or supports; a support, a source of strength. Obs.
1455. Paston Lett., 239, I. 329. We … prey to The to be oure confort and Defender.
1577. B. Googe, Heresbach’s Husb., II. (1586), 50 b. You must have a little walled hedge, to teach the springs … to climbe by, which wil be a jolly Stay and a comfort to them.
† 2. Physical refreshment or sustenance; refreshing or invigorating influence. (Cf. COMFORT v. 4.)
1377. Langl., P. Pl., B. XI. 253. On a walnot … is a bitter barke, And after þat bitter barke … Is a kirnelle of conforte kynd to restore.
1543. Becon, Invect. Swearing, Wks. (1564), 212 b. They would tast … not so much as a poore alebery for the comfort of their hart.
1552. Bk. Com. Prayer, For rain. That we may receiue the fruites of the yearth to our comforte.
1611. Tourneur, Ath. Trag., II. iv. Clouds … rais’d by the Comfort of The Sunne to water dry and barren grounds.
concr. 1631. Markham, Weald of Kent, II. i. (1668), 2. Holpen by some manner of comfort, as dung, marl, fresh earth … or such other refreshings.
† 3. Pleasure, enjoyment, delight, gladness. Obs.
c. 1230. Hali Meid., 27. Hare confort & hare delit hwerin is hit al?
c. 1386. Chaucer, Prol., 773. Conforte ne myrthe is non To riden by þe wey dombe as a stone.
a. 1400–50. Alexander, 8. Sum … has comforth to carpe … Of curtaissy of knyȝthode, of craftis of armys.
1568. Grafton, Chron., II. 380. When these Justes had continued … .xxiiij. dayes, to the great joye and comforte of the young lustie Bachelers.
† 4. Relief or aid in want, pain, sickness, etc. Obs. (Cf. COMFORT v. 6.)
a. 1340. Hampole, Psalter, cxlvi. 3. His byndyngis is þe sacramentis in þe whilke we hafe comforth til we perfytly be hale.
c. 1400. Rom. Rose, 6508. Lete bere hem [beggers] to the spitel anoon, But, for me, comfort gete they noon.
1568. Grafton, Chron., II. 132. Many came vnto the Citie, and nere thereabout for comfort of victuall.
1570. Ane Tragedie, in Sc. Poems 16th C., II. 234. To gif the wedow and fatherles confort.
1647. Cowley, Mistr., Despair. No comfort to my wounded sight, In the Suns busie and impert’nent Light.
5. Relief or support in mental distress or affliction; consolation, solace, soothing. (In later use sometimes expressing little more than the production of mental satisfaction and restfulness.)
a. 1225. Ancr. R., 178. No gostlich cumfort ne mei hire gledien.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Frankl. T., 98. Euery comfort possible … They doon to hure … to make hure late her heuynesse.
c. 1440. Gesta Rom., v. 13 (Harl. MS.). Make me solas and comfort, and chere me.
1593. Drayton, Eclog., X. 73. None else there is gives comfort to my griefe.
1605. Shaks., Lear, IV. i. 17. Thy comforts can do me no good at all. Ibid. (1611), Wint. T., V. iii. 1. The great comfort That I haue had of thee.
1749. Fielding, Tom Jones, VI. xii. I wish I had any comfort to send you. Ibid. (1752), Amelia, III. iv. Others applying for comfort to strong liquors.
1800. Wordsw., Michael, 448. There is a comfort in the strength of love.
c. 1800. Nelson, in Nicolas, Disp. (1845), I. 2. Thus … I became confident … amongst rocks and sands, which has … since been of the greatest comfort to me.
1884. Miss Braddon, Ishmael, xli. Such comfort as the Church can give to the remorseful sinner.
b. subjectively. The feeling of consolation or mental relief; the state of being consoled.
c. 1340. Richard Rolle of Hampole, Prick of Conscience, 2508. Comfort of gud hope may he fele, Þat here lyves wele, to fare wele.
c. 1394. P. Pl. Crede, 99. My purpos is i-failed, Now is my counfort a-cast!
1592. Shaks., Rom. & Jul., III. iii. 165. How well my comfort is reuiu’d by this.
1876. Geo. Eliot, Dan. Der., lxviii. She had … a sense of solemn comfort.
c. transf. A person or thing that affords consolation; a source or means of comfort.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Moder of God, 15. Benigne confort of us wrecches all.
1465. Marg. Paston, in Lett., II. 187. He hath ben a grete comfort to me.
1605. T. Playfere, 9 Serm. (1612), 188. A treasure of comforts gathered out of the olde and new Testament.
1611. Bible, Col. iv. 11. My fellow workers … which haue beene a comfort vnto me.
1847. H. F. Lyte, Hymn, ‘Abide with me,’ i. When other helpers fail and comforts flee.
1856. Miss Mulock, J. Halifax, v. Growing up to be a help and comfort to my father.
d. In weaker sense: A cause or matter of satisfaction or relief; a comforting fact or reflection. Chiefly colloq. in the phrases ‘it is a comfort to do,’ ‘it is some comfort that,’ etc.
1553. in E. Lodge, Illust. Brit. Hist. (1791), I. 160. It was a great comforte to him to perceyve in the Kings yong years soch a consideracion of the public weal.
1641. Ld. Strafford, Sp. on Scaffold, in Hist. Eng. (1702), II. 225. It is a great comfort to me that his Majesty believes I do not deserve so heavy a punishment.
1749. Fielding, Tom Jones, V. viii. One comfort is, they will be all known.
1825. Scott, Jrnl., 18 Dec., in Lockhart. Nobody … can lose a penny by me—that is one comfort.
1873. ‘Mrs. Alexander,’ Wooing o’t, xxvii. It is a comfort to be able to speak to you.
6. A state of physical and material well-being, with freedom from pain and trouble, and satisfaction of bodily needs; the condition of being comfortable (see COMFORTABLE 10).
1814. Wordsw., Excursion, I. Their days were spent In peace and comfort.
1827. Keble, Chr. Y., Morning, xv. Let present Rapture, Comfort, Ease, As Heaven shall bid them, come and go.
1856. Froude, Hist. Eng. (1858), I. i. 75. All industrious men could maintain themselves in comfort and prosperity.
1862. Ruskin, Munera P. (1880), 2 At the cost of common health and comfort.
b. objectively. The conditions which produce or promote such a state; the quality of being comfortable (see COMFORTABLE 7).
1848. Macaulay, Hist. Eng., I. iii. 384. William Harrison gave a lively description of the plenty and comfort of the great hostelries.
1884. Miss Braddon, Ishmael, v. Reared in the comfort and elegance of a successful artist’s household.
7. concr. A thing that produces or ministers to enjoyment and content. (Usually pl.; distinguished from necessaries on the one hand, and from luxuries on the other.) Creature comforts: material comforts such as food. So home comforts.
1659. J. Arrowsmith, Chain Princ., 58. The Scripture useth diminishing terms when it speaks of creature-comforts.
1688. Miége, Fr. Dict., s.v., The Comforts of this Life.
1771. Smollett, Humph. Cl., Let. 8 Oct. Very moderate in his estimate of the necessaries, and even of the comforts of life.
1775. Johnson, Tax. no Tyr., 11. Before they quit the comforts of a warm home.
1855. Macaulay, Hist. Eng., xiii. III. 300. A modern Englishman … finds in his shooting box all the comforts and luxuries of his club.
1860. Tyndall, Glac., I. x. 66. Steeped in the creature comforts of our hotel.
1873. ‘Mrs. Alexander,’ Wooing o’t, xxi. Another … dainty apartment, supplied with every comfort.
8. A wadded and quilted counterpane; = COMFORTER 6 b. (U.S.)
1863. Life in South, II. 263. The quilted coverlets called ‘comforts,’—a wadded counterpane, in fact.
† 9. Comfort is used by Shaks. interjectionally; = Take comfort, cheer up. (Cf. COMFORT v. 7 e.) Also What comfort? = What cheer?
1593. Shaks., Rich. II., II. i. 72. What comfort man? How ist with aged Gaunt? Ibid., III. ii. 75. Comfort my Liege, why lookes your Grace so pale? Ibid. (1611), Wint. T., IV. iv. 848. Comfort, good comfort: we must to the King.
10. Phrases. To be of (good) comfort: to be of good cheer; to keep up one’s heart or courage (arch.). To take († have) comfort: to accept consolation, be comforted. † to put in comfort: to encourage, cheer up, console. Cold comfort: see COLD a. 10.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 7818 (Cott.). Was he neuer o wers comfortd.
c. 1320. Seuyn Sag. (W.), 2601. Sche saide Alas!… N’el ich … confor[t] take neuer mo.
c. 1325. Coer de L., 5596. To hys men hys armes he badde, And sayde … Look ye ben off comfort good!
1399. Langl., Rich. Redeles, Prol. 39. To kepe him in confforte in crist and nouȝt ellis.
c. 1440. Generydes, 38. Whanne he was sadde, to putte hym in coumfort.
c. 1510. Barclay, Mirr. Good Mann. (1570), D v. Take confort, be of stoute courage.
1598. W. Phillips, trans. Linschoten (1864), 198. Putting her in comfort, and encouraging her to follow her husband.
1599. Shaks., Much Ado, IV. i. 119. Haue comfort Ladie. Ibid. (1601), Twel. N., III. iv. 372. You stand amaz’d, But be of comfort.
1697. Dampier, Voy. (1698), I. ii. 16. We … bid them be of good comfort and stay till the River did fall.
1872. Geo. Eliot, Middlem., lxxxiv. Take comfort: perhaps James will forgive me.
11. Comb., as comfort-hungry, killing, -seeking adjs.
1593. Shaks., Lucr., 764. O comfort-killing Night, image of hell!
1865. T. F. Knox, trans. Life H. Suso, 70. To mortify his comfort-seeking body.
1874. L. Tollemache, in Fortn. Rev., Feb., 238. Our comfortable and comfort-seeking age.
1897. R. S. Haynes, in Cornell Mag., X. Oct., 16. As the minister read, there seemed to come to comfort-hungry Tad a sense of peace, the like of which he had never known before.
