comic relief

noun

: a relief from the emotional tension especially of a drama that is provided by the interposition of a comic episode or element

Examples of comic relief in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Of course, Timon (Billy Eichner) and Pumbaa (Seth Rogen) are there for some extremely strained comic relief. Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 17 Dec. 2024 The secret ingredient in all three shows is their deep well of collective empathy — their conviction that characters who would be comic relief on a more traditional sitcom have inner lives worthy of main-character energy. Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 12 Dec. 2024 What might be more uncomfortable and unfortunate though is the film’s decision to use her dementia as a source of comic relief. Shannon Carlin, TIME, 27 Nov. 2024 And now for the hour’s comic relief, which comes in the form of Laoghaire trying to kill Jamie with her bare hands. Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 22 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for comic relief 

Word History

First Known Use

1783, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of comic relief was in 1783

Dictionary Entries Near comic relief

Cite this Entry

“Comic relief.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/comic%20relief. Accessed 24 Dec. 2024.

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