comfortless

English

Etymology

From Middle English comfortles; equivalent to comfort +‎ -less.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈkʌmfətləs/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈkʌmfəɹtləs/
• Hyphenation: com‧fort‧less

Adjective

comfortless (comparative more comfortless, superlative most comfortless)

1. Of a person: deprived of comfort; uncomforted.
   • 1526, [William Tyndale, transl.], The Newe Testamẽt […] (Tyndale Bible), [Worms, Germany: Peter Schöffer], →OCLC, John xiiij:[18], folio cxliij, recto:

     I will nott leave you comfoꝛtleſſe: I will come vnto you.

   • 1549 March 7, Thomas Cranmer [et al.], compilers, “The Introites, Collectes, Epistles, and Gospels, to be Used at the Celebracion of the Lordes Supper & Holye Communion, throughe the Yeare: With Proper Psalmes, and Lessons for Diuers Feastes and Dayes. [The Accencion Daie. Proper Psalms and Lessons.]”, in The Booke of the Common Prayer and Administration of the Sacramentes, […], London: […] Edowardi Whitchurche […], →OCLC, folio lxviii, recto:

     [W]e beſche thee, leaue vs not comfortles, but ſende to vs thine holy ghoſt to comfort vs, and exalte vs vnto thy ſame place, whither our ſauiour Chriſte is gone before: […]

   • 1613 (date written), William Shakespeare, [John Fletcher], “The Famous History of the Life of King Henry the Eight”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene iii], page 215, column 2:

     The Queene is comfortleſſe, and wee forgetfull / In our long abſence: pray doe not deliuer, / What heere y'haue heard to her.

   • 1862, Christina Rossetti, “Mirage”, in Goblin Market and Other Poems, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, London: Macmillan & Co., […], →OCLC, page 104:

     The hope I dreamed of was a dream, / Was but a dream; and now I wake / Exceeding comfortless, and worn, and old, / For a dream's sake.

2. Of a thing: offering no comfort; uncomforting.
   • c. 1588–1593 (date written), [William Shakespeare], The Most Lamentable Romaine Tragedie of Titus Andronicus: […] (First Quarto), London: […] Iohn Danter, and are to be sold by Edward White & Thomas Millington, […], published 1594, →OCLC, [Act III, scene i], signature F3, recto:

     Alas poore hart, that kiſſe is comfortleſſe, / As frozen water to a ſtarued ſnake.

   • 1794, Charlotte Smith, chapter IV, in The Banished Man. […], volume I, London: […] T[homas] Cadell, Jun. and W[illiam] Davies, (successors to Mr. [Thomas] Cadell) […], →OCLC, page 82:

     The former ſaid it would be better to wait till the moon, which now appeared faintly, ſhould afford them light to ſee the marks which, in ſuch places, are generally made to direct travellers through the floods. To this the men, and particularly Heurthofen, reluctantly conſented; but as the wind and rain ſeemed to contend which ſhould render their ſtay the moſt comfortleſs, they ſoon became impatient, and again repreſented the poſſibility of paſſing in perfect ſecurity.

   • 1816 June – 1817 April/May (date written), [Mary Shelley], chapter IV, in Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus. […], volume I, London: […] [Macdonald and Son] for Lackington, Hughes, Harding, Mavor, & Jones, published 1 January 1818, →OCLC, pages 102–103:

     I did not dare return to the apartment which I inhabited, but felt impelled to hurry on, although wetted by the rain, which poured from a black and comfortless sky.

   • 1941, Emily Carr, chapter 4, in Klee Wyck‎^[1]:

     In comfortless, damp blankets we got through the night.

Derived terms

• comfortlessly
• comfortlessness

 

Translations

deprived of comfort

• Bulgarian: безутешен (bg) (bezutešen)

offering no comfort — see uncomforting