cold comfort

cold comfort
noun
very limited consolation or empathy
-

he told me that time heals all wounds but that was cold comfort to me

• Hypernyms: ↑consolation, ↑solace, ↑solacement

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noun
: scant consolation : quite limited sympathy or encouragement

* * *

slight or negligible comfort; scarce consolation.
[1565-75]

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cold comfort see under ↑comfort
• • •
Main Entry: ↑cold
————————
cold comfort
Little, if any, comfort
• • •
Main Entry: ↑comfort

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cold comfort UK US noun [uncountable]
something that makes a difficult situation slightly better but not much better
Thesaurus: improvement and improvementssynonym

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cold comfort,
small comfort; something that gives very little encouragement, cheer, or consolation.

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poor or inadequate consolation

another drop in the inflation rate was cold comfort for the 2.74 million jobless

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noun [noncount]
: something that is good for a situation but does not make someone happy because the whole situation is still bad

The good news about the economy is cold comfort to people who have lost their jobs.

* * *

ˌcold ˈcomfort [cold comfort] noun uncountable
the fact that sth that would normally be good does not make you happy because the whole situation is bad

•

A small drop in the inflation rate was cold comfort for the millions without a job.


Useful english dictionary. 2012.

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  • cold comfort — {n.} Something that makes a person in trouble feel very little better or even worse. * /When Tim lost the race, it was cold comfort to him to hear that he could try again in two weeks./ * /Mary spent her vacation sick in bed and Jane s letter… …   Dictionary of American idioms

  • Cold Comfort — Cold Comfort …   Википедия

  • cold comfort — n [U] if something that is slightly positive is cold comfort to someone who is feeling very bad about a situation, it does not make them feel any better ▪ The drop in the unemployment figures is cold comfort to those still looking for work …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • cold comfort — ► cold comfort poor or inadequate consolation. Main Entry: ↑cold …   English terms dictionary

  • cold comfort — noun uncount something that makes a difficult situation slightly better but not much better …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • cold comfort — Meaning Origin From Shakespeare s The Taming of the Shrew & King John GRUMIO: Am I but three inches? why, thy horn is a foot; and so long am I at the least. But wilt thou make a fire, or shall I complain on thee to our mistress, whose hand, she… …   Meaning and origin of phrases

  • cold comfort — N UNCOUNT: oft N to/for n If you say that a slightly encouraging fact or event is cold comfort to someone, you mean that it gives them little or no comfort because their situation is so difficult or unpleasant. These figures may look good on… …   English dictionary

  • cold\ comfort — noun Something that makes a person in trouble feel very little better or even worse. When Tim lost the race, it was cold comfort to him to hear that he could try again in two weeks. Mary spent her vacation sick in bed and Jane s letter about her… …   Словарь американских идиом

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