comfortable

comfortable — adjective

1. describes furniture, beds, or clothing that makes your body feel relaxed and at

1.adjectiveA2
Definition

describes furniture, beds, or clothing that makes your body feel relaxed and at ease when you use or wear them

Example

The old sofa in the living room is very comfortable to sit on.

collocation: comfortable sofa / chair / bed

Aiko bought a pair of comfortable shoes for her walk to school.

Common collocations
  • comfortable sofa
  • comfortable bed
  • comfortable chair
  • comfortable shoes
  • comfortable clothes
Synonyms
  • comfy

    informal version, very common in everyday speech

  • cozy

    suggests warmth and a snug, pleasant feeling, especially for small spaces

  • snug

    describes something fitting closely and giving a warm, protected feeling

Antonyms
  • uncomfortable

    the direct opposite — causing physical discomfort or pain

Usage Note

Often used before nouns for furniture or clothing. Common combinations include comfortable bed, comfortable sofa, comfortable chair, and comfortable shoes.

Common Mistakes

This chair is comfortable to sit.
This chair is comfortable to sit on.
When describing a piece of furniture as comfortable for an action, add the correct preposition (on, in) at the end.

2. in a physical state where your body feels at ease, with no aches or tension, usu

2.adjectiveB1
Definition

in a physical state where your body feels at ease, with no aches or tension, usually because of a good position or pleasant surroundings

Example

After the long massage, Theo felt comfortable and relaxed for the first time.

feel + comfortable (sense: physically relaxed)

Hana sat in the garden chair and felt comfortable in the warm afternoon sun.

Common collocations
  • feel comfortable
  • get comfortable
  • make yourself comfortable
Synonyms
  • relaxed

    focuses on the mental state of being free from tension

  • at ease

    slightly formal, suggests a calm and untroubled physical state

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

feel comfortable

get comfortable

make oneself comfortable

Usage Note

Typically used after verbs like feel, be, get, or make oneself. Unlike sense 1 (CLOTHES/FURNITURE), this sense describes how a person feels, not the quality of an object.

Common Mistakes

I am comfortable in this chair' (when meaning the chair is good).
This chair is comfortable.
To say the chair gives comfort, use sense 1 with the object as the subject. Use sense 2 only when describing how you personally feel.

3. describes a sick or injured person, especially in a hospital, who is not in too

3.adjectiveB2
Definition

describes a sick or injured person, especially in a hospital, who is not in too much pain and whose state is stable

Example

The nurse said the patient was comfortable after her surgery last night.

medical context: patient + comfortable after surgery

Dr. Patel checked on Mr. Chen and found him comfortable and resting well.

Common collocations
  • patient is comfortable
  • comfortable and resting
  • comfortable and stable
Synonyms
  • stable

    medical term meaning condition is not getting worse

  • resting comfortably

    a fixed medical phrase combining both rest and comfort

Antonyms
  • in pain

    the opposite state for a medical patient

  • critical

    used when a patient's condition is serious or life-threatening

Usage Note

Used primarily in medical reporting to reassure family members. Frequently appears in the pattern 'the patient is comfortable and (doing well / resting / stable).' Distinguish from sense 2 (PHYSICALLY OKAY): sense 3 is restricted to medical contexts where pain management is the focus.

Common Mistakes

After running, I was comfortable.' (in a medical sense).
After running, I felt comfortable' (sense 2).
Sense 3 is only for hospital or medical care settings, not for everyday physical activity.

4. not feeling worried, nervous, or uncertain about a situation, an idea, or a rela

4.adjectiveB2
Definition

not feeling worried, nervous, or uncertain about a situation, an idea, or a relationship with someone

Example

Tomás felt comfortable speaking in front of a large audience for the first time.

comfortable + gerund (speaking)

Yara is not comfortable with the idea of moving to a new city alone.

comfortable with + noun phrase

Common collocations
  • comfortable with
  • comfortable about
  • feel comfortable
  • not comfortable
Synonyms
  • at ease

    suggests a calm, relaxed mental state in a social or work setting

  • confident

    stronger than comfortable; implies belief in one's ability

  • relaxed

    informal, focuses on the absence of tension

Antonyms
  • uneasy

    feeling worried or uncertain about a situation

  • uncomfortable

    the direct opposite — feeling awkward or worried

  • anxious

    stronger — feeling nervous and worried, often with physical symptoms

Grammar Patterns

comfortable with + noun/gerund

comfortable + gerund

Usage Note

Followed by with + noun/gerund, or directly by a gerund. The negative form (not comfortable with / not comfortable -ing) is very common. Never use a to-infinitive after this sense — 'I am comfortable to do it' is incorrect.

Common Mistakes

I am not comfortable to work late.
I am not comfortable working late.' or 'I am not comfortable with working late.
After comfortable meaning 'not worried,' use with + noun/gerund or a gerund alone, not a to-infinitive.

5. having the financial means to live well and meet your needs without the constant

5.adjectiveC2
Definition

having the financial means to live well and meet your needs without the constant worry of not having enough

Example

The Okonkwo family lives a comfortable life on their farm in the hills.

comfortable life — describing a sufficient standard of living

After years of saving, Nadia and her husband now have a comfortable income.

collocation: comfortable income

Common collocations
  • comfortable life
  • comfortable income
  • comfortable retirement
  • comfortable lifestyle
Synonyms
  • well-off

    informal, describes having plenty of money

  • affluent

    more formal, suggests a high level of wealth

  • prosperous

    emphasises success and financial growth over time

Antonyms
  • poor

    having very little money

  • struggling

    finding it hard to pay for basic needs

  • destitute

    having no money or possessions at all (formal)

Usage Note

Usually placed before nouns such as life, income, retirement, lifestyle, or existence. This sense does not describe a feeling — it describes a financial situation. Distinguish from sense 1 (CLOTHES/FURNITURE): a comfortable house here means one that requires no financial worry, not one that is physically cosy.

Common Mistakes

I feel comfortable today' (meaning financially secure on a particular day).
My family is comfortable' or 'We have a comfortable lifestyle.
This sense describes a lasting financial state, not a temporary feeling.

6. describes a victory or a winning margin that is so large that the winner has no

6.adjectiveB2
Definition

describes a victory or a winning margin that is so large that the winner has no difficulty achieving it

Example

The home team won the match by a comfortable margin of three goals to nil.

collocation: comfortable margin

Aiko finished the race in first place with a comfortable lead over the other runners.

collocation: comfortable lead

Common collocations
  • comfortable win
  • comfortable victory
  • comfortable lead
  • comfortable margin
Synonyms
  • decisive

    suggests the winner was clearly better and the result was never in doubt

  • convincing

    focuses on the quality of the performance, not just the margin

  • commanding

    suggests the winner had full control throughout

Antonyms
  • narrow

    describes a win by a very small margin

  • close

    describes a competition where both sides had a chance to win

Usage Note

Used only before nouns — comfortable win, comfortable victory, comfortable lead, comfortable margin. This sense does not describe how someone feels; it describes the size of a win or advantage. Common in sports commentary and election reporting.

Common Mistakes

The team was comfortable in the game.' (ambiguous).
The team won by a comfortable margin.
To express an easy win, use comfortable before a result noun (win, victory, lead, margin), not after a linking verb describing the team's state.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

All four words describe a pleasant physical feeling, but they differ in use and connotation. Comfy is the informal version of comfortable and is very common in everyday British and American speech ('This armchair is really comfy'). Cozy (cosy in British English) adds a sense of warmth, intimacy, and protection, often for small enclosed spaces ('a cozy cabin by the fire'). Snug describes something that fits closely and gives a warm, secure feeling — think of a snug sleeping bag or a snug pair of gloves. Soft refers specifically to the texture or surface feel of an object, not the overall experience of comfort ('a soft pillow'). Unlike comfortable, which can describe both the object and the person's feeling, comfy, cozy, and snug typically describe the object or space itself. For everyday use, comfortable and comfy are the safest choices; use cozy for warm, small settings, snug for close-fitting items, and soft for surface texture only.

comfycozysnugsoft ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • comfortable feeling
  • comfortable position
  • comfortable situation
  • comfortable life

Adverbs

  • very comfortable
  • quite comfortable
  • perfectly comfortable
  • reasonably comfortable
  • fairly comfortable
  • extremely comfortable
  • completely comfortable

Phrases

  • make yourself comfortable
  • feel comfortable
  • get comfortable
  • too comfortable

Prepositions

  • comfortable with
  • comfortable about
  • comfortable in

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

Comfortable comes from the Latin verb confortare, meaning 'to strengthen greatly' (com- 'together, completely' + fortis 'strong'). It passed into Old French as confortable, meaning 'helpful or strengthening,' and entered English around the 1300s with the sense 'giving spiritual strength or consolation.' By the 1700s the meaning shifted to describe physical ease, and later expanded to include financial security and the idea of a relaxed state of mind.