Comfortable

How to spell comfortable

11 letters · 4 syllables

How to pronounce comfortable

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does comfortable mean?

1. adjectiveProviding or experiencing physical ease, relaxation, or freedom from discomfort.

Comfortable in a sentence

• The new office chair is far more comfortable than the old one.

• She felt comfortable enough in the role to share her own ideas.

Where does comfortable come from?

Language of origin: Latin

The word traces back to the Late Latin verb confortare, meaning 'to strengthen greatly', built from the intensive prefix com- and the adjective fortis, meaning 'strong'. It entered English in the early 1300s by way of the Old French confort, and at first it carried a sense closer to 'giving strength, encouragement, or support' rather than physical ease. Over time the meaning softened from 'strengthening the spirit' to 'soothing' and finally to the modern idea of physical or material ease and contentment. The hidden trap in the spelling is the unstressed middle syllable: most adults say 'comf-ter-ble' and quietly swallow the 'or', so the forgotten letters mirror the forgotten sound. Remembering the root 'comfort' inside the word is the cleanest way to keep that vulnerable 'or-t' in place.

How the word is built

• com- (intensive: thoroughly)
• fort (strong, from Latin fortis)
• -able (capable of, suitable for)