cold comfort

noun

: quite limited sympathy, consolation, or encouragement
Such remonstrances against panic are cold comfort to the working-class people affected …Gilbert Taylor

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.
As businesses fail or consolidate, the remaining buyers gain negotiating power—but this is cold comfort in an industry where contraction reflects structural distress rather than healthy maturation. Peter Su, Forbes.com, 20 June 2026 That’s cold comfort for those dying on the streets. Sal Rodriguez, Daily News, 28 May 2026 For Adilav, who moved from Jerusalem to the West Bank to manage her costs since moving to Israel from upstate New York more than two decades ago, spending in the tech sector is cold comfort. Theia Chatelle, Sun Sentinel, 26 May 2026 Sudan drops from first place in 2024 to second, but any improvement in relative standing offers cold comfort to the Sudanese people. Steve H. Hanke, Fortune, 16 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for cold comfort

Word History

First Known Use

1571, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of cold comfort was in 1571

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Cite this Entry

“Cold comfort.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cold%20comfort. Accessed 26 Jun. 2026.

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