cold comfort

noun

: quite limited sympathy, consolation, or encouragement

Examples of cold comfort in a Sentence

The good news about the economy is cold comfort to people who have lost their jobs.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Despite the warmth of a beach vacation, getting invited to join a group that’s been so callous to you would feel like awfully cold comfort. R. Eric Thomas, The Mercury News, 11 Nov. 2024 But that’s cold comfort for domestic theaters in a year that will fall at least 10 percent behind last year’s mediocre totals. Tom Brueggemann, IndieWire, 27 Oct. 2024 But the notion that a book is playing with its genre is cold comfort when the play proves a slog. Alexandra Schwartz, The New Yorker, 7 Oct. 2024 That their comrades built effective anti-tank traps is surely cold comfort to the Russian troops who ultimately got caught in the trap. David Axe, Forbes, 29 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for cold comfort 

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of cold comfort was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near cold comfort

Cite this Entry

“Cold comfort.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cold%20comfort. Accessed 23 Nov. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!