COMFORT, v.t.

1. Relief from pain; ease; rest or moderate pleasure after pain, cold, or distress, or uneasiness of body. The word signifies properly, new strength, or animation; and relief from pain is often the effect of strength. In a popular sense, the word signifies rather negatively, the absence of pain and the consequent quiet, than positive animation.
2. Relief from distress of mind; the ease and quiet which is experienced when pain, trouble, agitation, or affliction ceases. It implies also some degree of positive animation of the spirits; or some pleasurable sensations derived from hope, and agreeable prospects; consolation. Let me alone, that I may take comfort a little. – Job x. Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole. – Matth. ix.
3. Support; consolation under calamity, distress, or danger. Let thy merciful kindness be for my comfort. – Ps. cxix.
4. That which gives strength or support in distress, difficulty, danger, or infirmity; as, pious children are the comfort of their aged parents.
5. In law, support; assistance; countenance; encouragement; as, an accessory affords aid or comfort to a felon.
6. That which gives security from want and furnishes moderate enjoyment; as, the comforts of life.

1. To strengthen; to invigorate; to cheer or enliven. Light excelleth in comforting the spirits of men. – Bacon. Comfort ye your hearts. – Gen. xviii.
2. To strengthen the mind when depressed or enfeebled; to console; to give new vigor to the spirits; to cheer, or relieve from depression, or trouble. His friends came to mourn with him and to comfort him. – Job ii.
3. In law, to relieve, assist or encourage, as the accessory to a crime after the fact. – Blackstone.

1. To make strong; to invigorate; to fortify; to corroborate.
   
   
   [Obs.] Wyclif.

   God's own testimony . . . doth not a little comfort and confirm the same.
   Hooker.

2. Assistance; relief; support.
   
   
   [Obs. except in the phrase "aid and comfort." See 5 below.] Shak.
3. To assist or help; to aid.
   
   
   [Obs.]

   I . . . can not help the noble chevalier:
   God comfort him in this necessity!
   Shak.

4. Encouragement; solace; consolation in trouble; also, that which affords consolation.
   
   

   In comfort of her mother's fears.
   Shak.

   Cheer thy spirit with this comfort.
   Shak.

   Speaking words of endearment where words of comfort availed not.
   Longfellow.

5. To impart strength and hope to; to encourage; to relieve; to console; to cheer.
   
   

   Light excelleth in comforting the spirits of men.
   Bacon.

   That we may be able to comfort them that are in any affliction.
   2 Cor. i. 4 (Rev. Ver.).

   A perfect woman, nobly planned,
   To warn, to comfort, and command.
   Wordsworth.

   Syn. -- To cheer; solace; console; revive; encourage; enliven; invigorate; inspirit; gladden; recreate; exhilarate; refresh; animate; confirm; strengthen. -- To Comfort, Console, Solace. These verbs all suppose some antecedent state of suffering or sorrow. Console is confined to the act giving sympathetic relief to the mind under affliction or sorrow, and points to some definite source of that relief; as, the presence of his friend consoled him; he was much consoled by this intelligence. The act of consoling commonly implies the inculcation of resignation. Comfort points to relief afforded by the communication of positive pleasure, hope, and strength, as well as by the diminution of pain; as, "They brought the young man alive, and were not a little comforted." Acts xx. 12. Solace is from L. solacium, which means according to Dumesnil, consolation inwardly felt or applied to the case of the sufferer. Hence, the verb to solace denotes the using of things for the purpose of affording relief under sorrow or suffering; as, to solace one's self with reflections, with books, or with active employments.

6. A state of quiet enjoyment; freedom from pain, want, or anxiety; also, whatever contributes to such a condition.
   
   

   I had much joy and comfort in thy love.
   Phil. 7 (Rev. Ver.).

   He had the means of living in comfort.
   Macaulay.

7. A wadded bedquilt; a comfortable.
   
   
   [U. S.]
8. Unlawful support, countenance, or encouragement; as, to give aid and comfort to the enemy.
   
   

   Syn. -- Comfort, Consolation. Comfort has two meanin