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.
Lucretia’s lone, cold comfort is to deny Guiteau his exalted place in history, too, most tangibly by ensuring his book is never published. Scott Tobias, Vulture, 6 Nov. 2025 The goals in Utah were cold comfort for him. Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 20 Oct. 2025 Amid layoffs, Tan has framed a few new hires as a positive development for the company, said a former PR manager, but the message was cold comfort to those who lost their jobs. Lila MacLellan, Fortune, 1 Oct. 2025 But that may be cold comfort to the actors who argue AI creations like Tilly couldn’t exist without their work. Clare Duffy, CNN Money, 30 Sep. 2025 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 15 Nov. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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