Meaning of Idiom ‘Cold Comfort’
When something is said to be cold comfort, it is little or no consolation at all. 1Ammer, Christine. American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2013.,2Kirkpatrick, Elizabeth M. The Wordsworth Dictionary of Idioms. Ware: Wordsworth, 1995.,3Ayto, John. Oxford Dictionary of English Idioms. Oxford: Oxford U, 2010.
Sentence Examples
“The severance package was cold comfort after having worked for the company for twenty years.”
“I know it’s cold comfort,” said Fran, “but Millie isn’t doing so well either.”
“We are gathered here today because he was taken from us. Much too soon. Words are cold comfort when a young life is cut so short.” — The Snow Walker (2004)
“This may sound like cold comfort, but your daddy would have been proud.” — Oblivion (1994)
“His death will make the rest of them considerably richer.” “How?” “If a member dies, their share passes to the remaining members.” “I see. All of which is cold comfort to me.” — Midsomer Murders: Bantling Boy (2005)
Origin
Here, cold is used in the sense of “unemotional.” Cold has been used to juxtapose comfort in this way since the 1300’s, and Shakespeare used the idiom often. 4Ammer, Christine. American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2013.
The expression may be familiar to some from a 1933 parody novel by Stella Gibbons, “Cold Comfort Farm.” 5Ayto, John. Oxford Dictionary of English Idioms. Oxford: Oxford U, 2010.
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