Forms: 3 conforti, 3–4 comforti, 3–5 conforte, 4 cumfort(e, conford, comfortie, -tye, coumforte(n, cowmforte, 4–5 cumforth(e, counfort(e, comford(e, comforth(e, comforte, confort, 5 comfford, 4– comfort. (Pa. t. comforted: in 4–5 comfort, 4 -forth, cumfort, confort, 5 comferd, cumfurth; pa. t. and pple. 5 comford.) [a. OF. cun-, conforter (= Pr., Sp., It. confortar):—L. confortāre to strengthen, f. con- intensive + fort-is strong. (Used by Macer, ‘confortat stomachum’; frequent in Itala and Vulgate; for form, cf. aggravāre.) The phonetic change of con- to com- is English.]
† 1. trans. To strengthen (morally or spiritually); to encourage, hearten, inspirit, incite. Obs.
c. 1290. Lives Saints (1887) 80. He [St. Matthew] prechede … And confortede þat clene maide … Euere þis guode man hire bi-souȝte þat heo clene lijf ladde.
1297. R. Glouc. (Rolls), 2929. Þe king aurely is felawes confortede to fiȝte.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 15527 (Cott.). Petre, comforth breþer þin quen i am ledd yow fra. Ibid., 21392 (Cott.). Constantine, luc vp… Til heuenward, and cumforth þe.
1382. Wyclif, Luke i. 80. The child wexed, and was counfortid in spirit.
c. 1420. Anturs of Arth., iv. Thay kest of hor cowpullus … Cumfordun hor kenettes.
1535. Coverdale, 2 Sam. ii. 7. Let youre hande now therfore be comforted, and be ye stronge.
1674. N. Cox, Gentl. Recreat., I. (1706), 18. The Call, a Lesson blowed on the Horn to comfort the Hounds.
† b. In a bad sense: To encourage in, or to, that which is evil. Obs. (Cf. next sense.)
1362. Langl., P. Pl., A. II. 121. From care to counforte the false.
c. 1380. Wyclif, Sel. Wks., III. 328. Not to coumforte hem in here synne.
1521–32. J. Longland, in Ellis, Orig. Lett., III. 95, I. 248. Comfortyng erronyous persons in ther opynyons.
1530. Rastell, Bk. Purgat., II. viii. It shuld confort a man to lyve vycyously.
† 2. To lend support or countenance to; to support, assist, aid; to abet, countenance, ‘back up.’ Formerly common in legal use.
1375. Barbour, Bruce, V. 178. Feill siss confort scho the kyng Bath with siluer and vith met.
1481. Caxton, Myrr., I. v. 26. For to amasse and gadre alway money wherin the deuyl conforteth hem.
1568. Grafton, Chron., II. 74. As touchyng the death of the aforesaid Becket, to the which he sware that he was neither ayding nor comfortyng.
1641. Termes de la Ley, 2. Abbettors in murders are those that command, procure, counsell, or comfort others to murder.
1726. Ayliffe, Parerg., 8. Guilty of comforting and assisting the Rebels.
† 3. To strengthen (physically), support; to make fast, secure. Obs. rare.
1382. Wyclif, Isa. xli. 7 He coumfortide hym with nailes that it shulde not be moued. Ibid., Ps. cxlvii. 13. He coumfortede the lockis of thi ȝatis.
1523–5. Ld. Berners, Froiss., I. 629. The other two were as wynges, to comfort the bataylles, if nede requyred.
1605. Bacon, Adv. Learn., II. To the King, § 3. Water doth scatter itself … except it be collected into some receptacle where it may by union comfort and sustain itself.
† b. fig. To confirm, corroborate. Obs. rare.
1594. Hooker, Eccl. Pol., I. xii. The euidence … doth not a little comforte and confirme the same [laws].
1603. Florio, Montaigne, II. xii. (1632), 302. Every one … patcheth up and comforteth this received beliefe.
† 4. To strengthen (the bodily faculties, organs, etc.); to invigorate, refresh. Obs.
Some of the later quots. lead on to sense 8.
1303. R. Brunne, Handl. Synne, 6996. Anoun cumfortede was Troyle so weyle Þat hys sykenes he forgate.
1382. Wyclif, Acts ix. 19. Whanne he hadde takun mete he was comfortid.
14[?]. Med. MS., in Archæol., XXX. 364. Jows of betonye … Counfortyth ye herynge.
1460–70. Bk. Quintessence, II. iv. 16. To comforte þe joynctis.
1541. R. Copland, Guydon’s Formul., Y j. The water of M. Peter of spayne, that conforteth and clereth the syght.
1578. Lyte, Dodoens, I. xxvii. 40. It comforteth the memory very much.
1637. Blunt, Voy. Levant, 105. [Coffee] comforteth the braine.
1671. Salmon, Syn. Med., III. xxii. 402. Goosbery bush—the ripe berries … comfort the stomach.
1725. Lond. Gaz., No. 6349/2. A Clyster to comfort the Bowels.
† 5.To minister delight or pleasure to; to gladden, cheer, please, entertain. Also fig. Obs.
1303. R. Brunne, Handl. Synne, 4760. Anoþer poynt cumforteþ me þat God haþ sent vnto a tre So moche ioye to here wyþ eere.
1393. Langl., P. Pl., C. XVI. 194. Ich am a mynstral … alle peuple to comfortye.
c. 1440. Generydes, 76. Yow to counfort is holy myn entente, This howse is all atte your comaundement.
1578. Lyte, Dodoens, III. lxviii. 409. Reu of the wal is … found … upon all olde walles that are moyst, and not comforted or lightned with the shining of the sonne.
1601. Shaks., Jul. C., II. i. 284.
1612. Drayton, Poly-olb., viii. Notes 129. Britanie was comforted with wholsome beames of religious light.
† 6. To minister relief to; to relieve, assist (in sickness, affliction, etc.). Obs.
1389. in Eng. Gilds (1870), 50. He shal comyn and vesyten hym [in prison], and comfordyn hym in his powere.
1393. Langl., P. Pl., C. X. 97. Almes … to comfortie such cotyers and crokede men and blynde.
1529. Frith, Antithesis, § 17. Christ came to seeke the poore & comfort them.
1611. Shaks., Wint. T., II. iii. 56. In comforting your Euilles.
1798. Wordsw., Idiot Boy, lv. She quite forgot to send the Doctor To comfort poor old Susan Gale.
7. To soothe in grief or trouble; to relieve of mental distress; to console, solace. (The ordinary current sense.)
1297. R. Glouc. (Rolls), 4204. Bedwer bigan to conforti þe womman … & bihet hire bote of hire wo.
c. 1350. Will. Palerne, 1512. Sche hire fader cumfort fast as sche miȝt.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Frankl. T., 95. Hire frendes whiche þat knewe hire heuy þouht Comforten hire.
c. 1430. Syr Gener. (Roxb.), 8713. I drede me that she wil dey The soner, but she counforted be Of thes tithinges.
1592. Shaks., Rom. & Jul., III. v. 230. Thou has’t comforted me marue’lous much.
1641. J. Jackson, True Evang. T., I. 38. To comfort the afflicted state of Christians.
1749. Fielding, Tom Jones, VI. xiii. I thought it would have comforted your la’ship.
1872. Geo. Eliot, Middlem., lxxviii. That look of misery would have been a pang to him, and he would have sunk by her side to comfort her.
1884. W. C. Smith, Kildrostan, 54. It might confort him to know our bliss.
† b. with up. Obs. rare. (Cf. cheer up.)
1603. Knolles, Hist. Turks, 289. Had not Cali Bassa by his grave advice comforted up his dying spirits.
c. refl.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 24246 (Cott.). Nu comforth þe … And werp awai þi wepe.
c. 1440. Ipomydon, 513. Thus she comfortyde hyr amonge, And efte she felle in mornynge stronge.
1754. Richardson, Grandison, 13 March (2nd year). She comforted herself, that Sir Charles would be able to soften their resentments.
1856. Froude, Hist. Eng. (1858), II. ix. 309. They comforted themselves with the hope that, etc.
d. The passive is often used in sense ‘to accept comfort,’ ‘to take comfort.’
1382. Wyclif, Isa. xl. 1. Beth coumfortid, ȝee my puple.
1611. Bible, Jer. xxxi. 15. Rahel weeping for her children, refused to be comforted.
1860. Geo. Eliot, Mill on Fl., VII. iv. Maggie dear, be comforted—don’t grieve.
† e. intr. (for refl.) To take comfort. Obs. rare. (Cf. COMFORT sb. 9.)
1600. Shaks., A. Y. L., II. vi. 5. Liue a little, comfort a little, cheere thy selfe a little.
8. trans. To bring into a comfortable state (of body and feelings), allay physical discomfort, make comfortable.
(App. only of modern use: the earlier quots. merely lead towards it. Cf. also 1671, 1725, in 4.)
[a. 1400[?]. Morte Arth., 944. Caughte of þe colde wynde to comforthe hym seluene.
1595. Shaks., John, V. vii. 41. Intreat the North To make his bleake windes kisse my parched lips, And comfort me with cold.
1862. Ruskin, Munera P. (1880), 6. Things which serve … to sustain and comfort the body.]
1884. Miss Braddon, Ishmael, xv. Refreshed by the coffee and comforted by the warmth of the stove.
Mod. Advt. A grateful and comforting beverage.
