comic-opera

1 of 2

adjective

com·​ic-op·​era ˈkä-mik-ˈä-p(ə-)rə How to pronounce comic-opera (audio)
: not to be taken seriously
a comic-opera regime

comic opera

2 of 2

noun

: opera of a humorous character with a happy ending and usually some spoken dialogue

Examples of comic-opera in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Adjective
Rather, inflation had arisen from supply chain foul-ups caused by the Covid epidemic, an act of God rendered worse by comic-opera mismanagement under President Donald Trump. Timothy Noah, The New Republic, 30 June 2023
Noun
The one-act comic opera about small-town life in 1960s Central Mexico blends stories of faith, family, mystery and migration. Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Dec. 2023 And because New York doesn’t have a comic opera company, MasterVoices fills a crucial, consistently entertaining niche. Seth Colter Walls, New York Times, 13 Nov. 2023 See all Example Sentences for comic-opera 

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1891, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1706, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of comic-opera was in 1706

Dictionary Entries Near comic-opera

comico-

comic-opera

comic opera

Cite this Entry

“Comic-opera.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/comic-opera. Accessed 15 Nov. 2024.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!