1
as in encouraging
making one feel good inside
the comforting smell of fresh bread
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in relaxing
tending to calm the emotions and relieve stress
a long comforting soak in a hot bath
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in reassurance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in reassuring
to ease the grief or distress of
the first responders did their best to comfort the victims of the terrible tornado
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of comforting
Alana Al-Hatlani, Southern Living, 21 Sep. 2025
Have the comforting dish on the table in under an hour.
—Sarah Martens, Better Homes & Gardens, 20 Sep. 2025
Standouts include Borit Gogae for a wholesome, country-style set meal; Mapo Dak Galbi for its assertive namesake stir-fry; MDK Noodles for deeply comforting kalguksu; Park’s BBQ for top-tier Korean barbecue; and Western Doma Noodles for japchae and kimchi jjigae.
—Emily Wilson, Bon Appetit Magazine, 19 Sep. 2025
For lovers of Hatch, there’s a portable baby-soothing version that boasts the same comforting sounds and no app, bluetooth, or wifi required.
—Julia Harrison, Architectural Digest, 19 Sep. 2025
Their adoring fourteen-year-old daughter, Hedvig (Maaike Laanstra-Corn), believes her layabout father to be a great inventor, but this, too, is a comforting lie.
—Helen Shaw, New Yorker, 18 Sep. 2025
Revisiting these memories can be deeply comforting.
—Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2025
Since In Living Color ended, Grier has worked steadily, shifting from TV to film to Broadway, usually as a comforting presence.
—Elliott Smith, Entertainment Weekly, 18 Sep. 2025
This rich and creamy gratin is a comforting vegetarian meal, topped with a golden, cheese-laden crust that’s crisp and savory.
—Linda Gassenheimer, Boston Herald, 17 Sep. 2025
Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 12 Sep. 2025
Designed to burn cleaner, the candles’ comforting scents will fill any room for up to 150 hours.
—Melody Kazel, PEOPLE, 10 Sep. 2025
This homey dish takes comforting canned tuna to richer, silkier heights.
—The New York Times News Service Syndicate, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Sep. 2025
Caring man comforting upset wife after receiving bad news.
—Daniella Gray, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Sep. 2025
Since then, their roadside stand has evolved into a destination with produce from local growers and a menu of comforting baked goods, lunches, and take-home meals.
—Lisa Cericola, Southern Living, 9 Sep. 2025
Indeed, the eatery’s comforting red-sauce fare and casual feel helped endear it to famous regulars Marilyn Monroe, James Dean, Frank Sinatra and Jack Nicholson, to name a few.
—Ryan Gajewski, HollywoodReporter, 7 Sep. 2025
There’s something comforting about returning to the familiar rhythms of the last sitcom everyone seemed to be watching at the same time, even if only one member of the original cast, Oscar Nuñez, reprises his role.
—Judy Berman, Time, 3 Sep. 2025
Joan comforting and encouraging him later in the episode was nice.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 29 Aug. 2025
Adjective
Toasty black walnuts and savory Parmesan work their magic, yielding a crunchy and creamy pasta that’s extremely comforting in the colder months.
—Alana Al-Hatlani, Southern Living, 21 Sep. 2025
Have the comforting dish on the table in under an hour.
—Sarah Martens, Better Homes & Gardens, 20 Sep. 2025
Standouts include Borit Gogae for a wholesome, country-style set meal; Mapo Dak Galbi for its assertive namesake stir-fry; MDK Noodles for deeply comforting kalguksu; Park’s BBQ for top-tier Korean barbecue; and Western Doma Noodles for japchae and kimchi jjigae.
—Emily Wilson, Bon Appetit Magazine, 19 Sep. 2025
For lovers of Hatch, there’s a portable baby-soothing version that boasts the same comforting sounds and no app, bluetooth, or wifi required.
—Julia Harrison, Architectural Digest, 19 Sep. 2025
Their adoring fourteen-year-old daughter, Hedvig (Maaike Laanstra-Corn), believes her layabout father to be a great inventor, but this, too, is a comforting lie.
—Helen Shaw, New Yorker, 18 Sep. 2025
Revisiting these memories can be deeply comforting.
—Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2025
Since In Living Color ended, Grier has worked steadily, shifting from TV to film to Broadway, usually as a comforting presence.
—Elliott Smith, Entertainment Weekly, 18 Sep. 2025
This rich and creamy gratin is a comforting vegetarian meal, topped with a golden, cheese-laden crust that’s crisp and savory.
—Linda Gassenheimer, Boston Herald, 17 Sep. 2025
Verb
Not exactly a pep talk, but comforting nevertheless.
—Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 12 Sep. 2025
Designed to burn cleaner, the candles’ comforting scents will fill any room for up to 150 hours.
—Melody Kazel, PEOPLE, 10 Sep. 2025
This homey dish takes comforting canned tuna to richer, silkier heights.
—The New York Times News Service Syndicate, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Sep. 2025
Caring man comforting upset wife after receiving bad news.
—Daniella Gray, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Sep. 2025
Since then, their roadside stand has evolved into a destination with produce from local growers and a menu of comforting baked goods, lunches, and take-home meals.
—Lisa Cericola, Southern Living, 9 Sep. 2025
Indeed, the eatery’s comforting red-sauce fare and casual feel helped endear it to famous regulars Marilyn Monroe, James Dean, Frank Sinatra and Jack Nicholson, to name a few.
—Ryan Gajewski, HollywoodReporter, 7 Sep. 2025
There’s something comforting about returning to the familiar rhythms of the last sitcom everyone seemed to be watching at the same time, even if only one member of the original cast, Oscar Nuñez, reprises his role.
—Judy Berman, Time, 3 Sep. 2025
Joan comforting and encouraging him later in the episode was nice.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 29 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for comforting
Adjective
-
However, Tottenham’s second-half performance was encouraging.—
Jay Harris,
New York Times,
21 Sep. 2025
-
Additionally, the Royals got an encouraging report on right-handed starting pitcher Ryan Bergert.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
20 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
And just hanging out with a couple of my close friends and my dogs and going somewhere fun and relaxing, or even just going to the movies.—
Carly Thomas,
HollywoodReporter,
12 Sep. 2025
-
The main level sports a spacious, open layout, with several distinct spaces for both entertaining and relaxing.—
Tori Latham,
Robb Report,
11 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Together, these findings serve as both a warning and a reassurance.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
18 Sep. 2025
-
In those moments, employees often look for confirmation or reassurance from managers or HR.—
Alyshia Hull,
USA Today,
17 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
But for the ranchers, such cautions are not reassuring.—
Sacbee.com,
Sacbee.com,
18 Sep. 2025
-
The data was reassuring for economists.—
Eleanor Pringle,
Fortune,
17 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Young people also need to see that curiosity can be productive and rewarding.—
Chris Wysopal,
Forbes.com,
19 Sep. 2025
-
However, Todd Whatley, a Certified Elder Law Attorney since 2007 and LLM in Elder Law, has a different vision for what a rewarding, long-lasting career can look like.—
Kaitlyn Gomez,
USA Today,
17 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
With a skin-loving trifecta of hyaluronic acid, madecassoside (more commonly known as centella asiatica), and vitamin B5 (which binds to and holds water to moisturize the skin), the formula goes beyond basic moisturization, effectively smoothing, soothing, and repairing dry, tight skin.—
Danielle Cohen,
Glamour,
18 Sep. 2025
-
Four soothing ways to help a sore throat.—
Rebecca Morin,
USA Today,
17 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Alaskan authorities are assuring regulations are followed.—
Andrew Watman,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
-
In particular, O’Neill proposed doing away with FDA’s 60-year-old mandate of assuring new drugs are both safe and effective in treating disease.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
29 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
The movie was roundly rejected by critics and general audiences aren’t any warmer, with moviegoer survey firm Cinema Score polling a bad C- grade among early viewers.—
J. Kim Murphy,
Variety,
20 Sep. 2025
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The pastel colorway, which also includes a warm blue and a mushroom hue bestows a sort of quiet luxury to your chamber.—
Yelena Moroz Alpert,
Architectural Digest,
20 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Comforting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/comforting. Accessed 23 Sep. 2025.
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