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
Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 24 May 2026
This comforting dish is unexpected but always welcome.
—Lizzy Briskin, Better Homes & Gardens, 24 May 2026
Those problems — social, political, financial — aren’t going to get better anytime soon, but how comforting to know there will always be a stripey sweater, a glass (or three) of Champagne or lungfuls of fresh air from Devon or Saint-Tropez to ease the pain.
—Samantha Conti, Footwear News, 23 May 2026
But every awful pause contains an ocean of meaning, none of it comforting.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 20 May 2026
The authors of the study found that, although honesty remains important overall, many individuals actually preferred comforting or reassuring dishonesty over the harsh truth in certain situations.
—Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 17 May 2026
But throughout the hardships, the cast of the show has remained a comforting constant in one another’s lives.
—Rachel McRady, PEOPLE, 15 May 2026
Those imperfections had distinct character and became identifiers — familiar, comforting, and enduring, even decades later.
—Lily Moayeri, SPIN, 15 May 2026
Cosmic wisdom is less relevant than the comforting sentiment that everything is going to be okay.
—Ian Bogost, The Atlantic, 15 May 2026
Mary Shannon Wells, Southern Living, 24 May 2026
Early on, many infected people spread the virus to few people, which generated comforting statistics on average.
—Zeynep Tufekci, Mercury News, 20 May 2026
Throughout the day, friends and classmates gathered, wiping away tears, comforting each other and trying to process the sudden loss.
—Shelley Bortz, CBS News, 18 May 2026
As a pastor, Readon is known in the community for fighting gun violence, often showing up at rallies and seen comforting grieving family members.
—Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 15 May 2026
Caitlin Vaccaro has forged a decade-long career as a nurse in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), caring for newborns in need and comforting their parents along the way.
—Rachel Raposas, PEOPLE, 11 May 2026
Throughout the evening, the cast and EPs spoke about how special the show feels to them to make, while also praising its wholesome, comforting warmth.
—Abby Stern, HollywoodReporter, 6 May 2026
In globalization, concreteness in English is comforting.
—Literary Hub, 4 May 2026
The result is a more filling, comforting bowl with minimal effort.
—Olivia McIntosh, Martha Stewart, 29 Apr. 2026
Adjective
When the church hall needs something hearty, comforting, and warm, this easy casserole is the universal answer.
—Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 24 May 2026
This comforting dish is unexpected but always welcome.
—Lizzy Briskin, Better Homes & Gardens, 24 May 2026
Those problems — social, political, financial — aren’t going to get better anytime soon, but how comforting to know there will always be a stripey sweater, a glass (or three) of Champagne or lungfuls of fresh air from Devon or Saint-Tropez to ease the pain.
—Samantha Conti, Footwear News, 23 May 2026
But every awful pause contains an ocean of meaning, none of it comforting.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 20 May 2026
The authors of the study found that, although honesty remains important overall, many individuals actually preferred comforting or reassuring dishonesty over the harsh truth in certain situations.
—Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 17 May 2026
But throughout the hardships, the cast of the show has remained a comforting constant in one another’s lives.
—Rachel McRady, PEOPLE, 15 May 2026
Those imperfections had distinct character and became identifiers — familiar, comforting, and enduring, even decades later.
—Lily Moayeri, SPIN, 15 May 2026
Cosmic wisdom is less relevant than the comforting sentiment that everything is going to be okay.
—Ian Bogost, The Atlantic, 15 May 2026
Verb
This oh-so-comforting recipe is delicious served over egg noodles for a hearty dinner.
—Mary Shannon Wells, Southern Living, 24 May 2026
Early on, many infected people spread the virus to few people, which generated comforting statistics on average.
—Zeynep Tufekci, Mercury News, 20 May 2026
Throughout the day, friends and classmates gathered, wiping away tears, comforting each other and trying to process the sudden loss.
—Shelley Bortz, CBS News, 18 May 2026
As a pastor, Readon is known in the community for fighting gun violence, often showing up at rallies and seen comforting grieving family members.
—Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 15 May 2026
Caitlin Vaccaro has forged a decade-long career as a nurse in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), caring for newborns in need and comforting their parents along the way.
—Rachel Raposas, PEOPLE, 11 May 2026
Throughout the evening, the cast and EPs spoke about how special the show feels to them to make, while also praising its wholesome, comforting warmth.
—Abby Stern, HollywoodReporter, 6 May 2026
In globalization, concreteness in English is comforting.
—Literary Hub, 4 May 2026
The result is a more filling, comforting bowl with minimal effort.
—Olivia McIntosh, Martha Stewart, 29 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for comforting
Adjective
-
The serious problem of reliance on an adversary will take time to solve, but early returns are encouraging.—
Editorial Board,
Washington Post,
22 May 2026
-
Those upbeat points for philosophy are heartwarming and abundantly encouraging.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
22 May 2026
Adjective
-
The overall design feels more luxury lifestyle than clinical chic—a knack that few spas have achieved so successfully, which means this is a much more relaxing place than many rivals.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
23 May 2026
-
Both decor and a relaxing activity, Lego flowers have a loyal fanbase.—
Mia Huelsbeck,
PEOPLE,
23 May 2026
Noun
-
Jensen was grateful for the reassurance and started to believe things would be okay.—
Wendy Grossman Kantor,
PEOPLE,
28 May 2026
-
While not a full-on new product roadmap, the announcements do feel like management’s attempt to let investors peek behind the curtains for reassurance that new revenue streams are most certainly a top priority.—
Zev Fima,
CNBC,
28 May 2026
Verb
-
The reviews have been reassuring that Miller had the right vision.—
Esha Chhabra,
Forbes.com,
27 May 2026
-
The performance of the heat shield, widely recognized as perhaps the program’s most challenging engineering problem, must be reassuring for SpaceX officials seeking to eventually recover and rapidly reuse future ships.—
Stephen Clark,
ArsTechnica,
23 May 2026
Adjective
-
And perhaps the most rewarding part of the victory was the fact that the momentum was spread out across the roster in historic fashion.—
Peter Chawaga,
Forbes.com,
27 May 2026
-
The latest book by qntm, known as Sam Hughes at his day job as a software developer, fittingly feels like finding your way into a mesmerizing, bizarre, fascinating and maybe a little cringey corner of the Internet, one that is somehow more rewarding for arriving unexpected.—
Sarah Lewin Frasier,
Scientific American,
27 May 2026
Adjective
-
The relaxed linen texture keeps them looking elevated but still cozy, and the earthy tone ties the entire color palette together in such a soothing way.—
Rosie Marder,
Travel + Leisure,
25 May 2026
-
On the slightly more orange side, terra-cotta tones are viewed in design as healing, soothing, and warm.—
Petra Guglielmetti,
Better Homes & Gardens,
22 May 2026
Noun
-
Miller, who said the plan for the team was to keep playing next season, even without access to the state playoffs, tried to offer consoling words.—
Andrew Carter,
Chicago Tribune,
24 May 2026
Verb
-
Building inspector approves operations The restaurant posted on Instagram following the incident, assuring customers that the building had been evaluated.—
CBS Baltimore Staff,
CBS News,
23 May 2026
-
The company, meanwhile, issued a statement assuring people that the Royal Pop will be available for months.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
18 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Comforting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/comforting. Accessed 31 May. 2026.
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