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
Tarot.com, Sun Sentinel, 14 June 2026
Autumn brings crisp air, colorful foliage in the forests and arboretums, roaring fires, and comforting, warming dishes.
—Lindsay Cohn, Travel + Leisure, 13 June 2026
This pizza brings together familiar American flavors with our signature artisan approach, creating something that’s both comforting and unexpected.
—Aly Walansky, Forbes.com, 12 June 2026
Clouds of nutmeg, cinnamon, and cardamom rise to meet soft violet leaves and lavender, before settling into a comforting sandalwood base.
—Ariel Wodarcyk, InStyle, 12 June 2026
The result feels comforting without skewing childish.
—Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Sacbee.com, 12 June 2026
These rituals are comforting, says Wann, and give people something to look forward to.
—Veronique Greenwood, Time, 11 June 2026
On occasion, artists represent dogs gently breaking out of the comforting premises of good order.
—Literary Hub, 10 June 2026
Topped with 2 cups of shredded Cheddar cheese, this comforting and quick weeknight meal only 10 minutes of hands-on time.
—Symiah Dorsey, Southern Living, 10 June 2026
Drew Pittock, USA Today, 17 June 2026
The beauty lies in moderation — taking a moment to appreciate their comforting properties.
—Cnn.com Wire Service, Mercury News, 16 June 2026
There’s something undeniably comforting about a casserole that takes care of dinner all in one dish.
—Torie Cox, Southern Living, 13 June 2026
Comfort shows are comforting for a reason.
—Mark Travers, CNBC, 7 June 2026
This cozy and comforting soup brings your go-to Panera order right to your kitchen.
—Lizzy Briskin, Better Homes & Gardens, 31 May 2026
Some might call this formula comforting.
—Noel Murray, Vulture, 29 May 2026
But what this act meant between the two is up for interpretation, as the kiss was shared when Agnes was comforting Becka in the moments before Becka’s wedding to Agnes’ crush, Garth (Brad Alexander).
—Jennifer Maas, Variety, 28 May 2026
His team provides trauma counseling, material aid and plush toys that play comforting music.
—Krista Kafer, Denver Post, 28 May 2026
Adjective
Let your senses guide wise spending, and favor one durable tool that makes your routine feel comforting while still keeping you productive.
—Tarot.com, Sun Sentinel, 14 June 2026
Autumn brings crisp air, colorful foliage in the forests and arboretums, roaring fires, and comforting, warming dishes.
—Lindsay Cohn, Travel + Leisure, 13 June 2026
This pizza brings together familiar American flavors with our signature artisan approach, creating something that’s both comforting and unexpected.
—Aly Walansky, Forbes.com, 12 June 2026
Clouds of nutmeg, cinnamon, and cardamom rise to meet soft violet leaves and lavender, before settling into a comforting sandalwood base.
—Ariel Wodarcyk, InStyle, 12 June 2026
The result feels comforting without skewing childish.
—Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Sacbee.com, 12 June 2026
These rituals are comforting, says Wann, and give people something to look forward to.
—Veronique Greenwood, Time, 11 June 2026
On occasion, artists represent dogs gently breaking out of the comforting premises of good order.
—Literary Hub, 10 June 2026
Topped with 2 cups of shredded Cheddar cheese, this comforting and quick weeknight meal only 10 minutes of hands-on time.
—Symiah Dorsey, Southern Living, 10 June 2026
Verb
Brittney Brimway and her three children were on a flight from Los Angeles to Turks and Caicos with a layover in New York City when her son woke her up with some less-than-comforting news.
—Drew Pittock, USA Today, 17 June 2026
The beauty lies in moderation — taking a moment to appreciate their comforting properties.
—Cnn.com Wire Service, Mercury News, 16 June 2026
There’s something undeniably comforting about a casserole that takes care of dinner all in one dish.
—Torie Cox, Southern Living, 13 June 2026
Comfort shows are comforting for a reason.
—Mark Travers, CNBC, 7 June 2026
This cozy and comforting soup brings your go-to Panera order right to your kitchen.
—Lizzy Briskin, Better Homes & Gardens, 31 May 2026
Some might call this formula comforting.
—Noel Murray, Vulture, 29 May 2026
But what this act meant between the two is up for interpretation, as the kiss was shared when Agnes was comforting Becka in the moments before Becka’s wedding to Agnes’ crush, Garth (Brad Alexander).
—Jennifer Maas, Variety, 28 May 2026
His team provides trauma counseling, material aid and plush toys that play comforting music.
—Krista Kafer, Denver Post, 28 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for comforting
Adjective
-
Eco effort The Mollie has a focus on being eco-friendly with carafes of water instead of bottles, encouraging to save towels for a few days at a time, and even partnering with Rivian, the electric car manufacturer, to offer all-electric shuttles to the mountain and the airport.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
12 June 2026
-
Despite the concerning drought conditions, climate outlooks are showing some encouraging signs for the months ahead.—
Callie Zanandrie,
CBS News,
12 June 2026
Adjective
-
Scape Park has exciting outdoor activities and points of interests to explore, such as zip lines, cenotes, and caverns, while El Dorado Water Park is the epitome of aquatic fun with more than 20 attractions, from high-speed slides to a relaxing wave pool, ideal for the whole family.—
Condé Nast Traveler,
Condé Nast Traveler,
11 June 2026
-
Long flights feel noticeably more relaxing with somewhere to prop up tired feet.—
Rosie Marder,
Travel + Leisure,
11 June 2026
Noun
-
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres arrived in Haiti on Tuesday wanting to deliver a message of reassurance to the Haitian people amid surging gang violence, rising displacement and deepening hunger.—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
17 June 2026
-
Tisch’s presence in the top ranks of his administration presented some reassurance to some of those voters.—
Josephine Stratman,
New York Daily News,
15 June 2026
Verb
-
On one hand, being diagnosed early can be reassuring.—
Lauryn Higgins,
Flow Space,
15 June 2026
-
But Hill’s research proved reassuring to Bolton.—
Ben Taub,
New Yorker,
15 June 2026
Adjective
-
The screenplay grows more complex and rewarding as the central relationship weakens, effectively forcing Sonya to deal with her exhausting boyfriend (Levon Hawke) and pushing Coley to connect with her father who, for whatever reason, spends a lot of time hand-making turquoise jewelry.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
16 June 2026
-
Re-activating a dormant friendship is often faster and more rewarding than building one from scratch.—
Hanna Wickes,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
16 June 2026
Adjective
-
The set comes in over 10 colors, including a summer-ready coral and soothing sage green.—
Better Homes & Gardens,
Better Homes & Gardens,
13 June 2026
-
There’s a cosmic irony in referencing Yoshimura, whose soothing compositions were famously commissioned to accompany showrooms for model homes in Japan in the 1980s and have since become synonymous with domestic comfort.—
Harry Thorfinn-George,
Pitchfork,
11 June 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
-
The city issued a statement on Monday, apologizing for the incident and assuring the public that the inclusion of the images was not intentional.—
Hannah Fry,
Los Angeles Times,
9 June 2026
-
On Sunday, Quentin Coleman’s 3-point try missed at the buzzer, assuring Canada the win.—
Gary Bedore,
Kansas City Star,
8 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Comforting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/comforting. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
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