comic

1 of 2

adjective

com·​ic ˈkä-mik How to pronounce comic (audio)
1
: of, relating to, or marked by comedy
a comic actor
2
: causing laughter or amusement : funny
a comic monologue
3
: of or relating to comic strips
the newspaper's comic section

comic

2 of 2

noun

1
: comedian
a stand-up comic
2
: the comic element
3
c
comics plural : the part of a newspaper devoted to comic strips
Choose the Right Synonym for comic

laughable, ludicrous, ridiculous, comic, comical mean provoking laughter or mirth.

laughable applies to anything occasioning laughter.

laughable attempts at skating

ludicrous suggests absurdity that excites both laughter and scorn.

a thriller with a ludicrous plot

ridiculous suggests extreme absurdity, foolishness, or contemptibility.

a ridiculous display of anger

comic applies especially to what arouses thoughtful amusement.

a comic character

comical applies to what arouses spontaneous hilarity.

a comical hat

Examples of comic in a Sentence

Adjective The drama has some comic moments. His comic timing is impeccable. The scene was included for comic effect. Noun posted an especially funny comic by the watercooler a celebrated humorist who, without fail, could find the comic in even the most mundane of situations
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
Clarinetist David Jones often lit up his instrument like a match — and took his own memorable comic turn leaning out from the arches. Michael Andor Brodeur, Washington Post, 21 Mar. 2024 With their comic Minor Threats, actor and comedian Patton Oswalt and TV writer Jordan Blum found unexpected success with their title focused on the travails of underappreciated and overlooked D-list villains. Borys Kit, The Hollywood Reporter, 21 Mar. 2024 Bellucci plays herself in a comic burlesque rich with dance numbers and pop cameos. Ben Croll, Variety, 19 Mar. 2024 The swirl of cartoon physics and comic melodrama is fantastical and otherworldly, as if survivalists in the wild had access to home-movie equipment to chart their increasing delirium. Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times, 15 Mar. 2024 Trending Part dystopian nightmare and part PETA-friendly plea for tolerance — as a well as a coming-of-age movie with a fairy-tale-like sheen — The Animal Kingdom may have the metaphorical subtlety of an early Stan Lee/Jack Kirby X-Men comic storyline. David Fear, Rolling Stone, 15 Mar. 2024 For the most part, these 1930s westerns depicted at least their principal Black characters with dignity, though reductive comic stereotypes were present, too. Chris Klimek, Smithsonian Magazine, 1 Mar. 2024 In the true-life story, Roberts melded her comic and dramatic talents as a single mother who takes a stuffy law firm by storm and isn't afraid to be a little flirty when taking on a utility company responsible for an environmental hazard. Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, 4 Mar. 2024 Krista Wigle showcases both a solid voice and impeccable comic timing, and Joseph Meyers is especially funny throughout, namely as the narrative comes to a close with his donning a skin-tight Elvis costume. David John Chávez, The Mercury News, 29 Feb. 2024
Noun
Jimmy Kimmel is a competent host, and did a satisfying job as the evening’s emcee, but passing the reins to a new stand-up comic with the right sensibilities and love of movies to highlight an evening such as the Oscars is more than appropriate at this point. Clayton Davis, Variety, 11 Mar. 2024 In the 1970s, Lewis became a stand-up comic in Greenwich Village, making the late-night talk show circuit, and becoming well-known for his mordant stage presence and frenetically self-deprecating humor. Ej Dickson, Rolling Stone, 28 Feb. 2024 This nonfiction comic is based on extensive interviews with Marek, now 18, his mother, his co-workers, as well as data from the U.S. Labor Department, photographs and California labor commissioner records. Emmanuel Martinez, Washington Post, 2 Feb. 2024 The upcoming fourth season of Only Murders in the Building won’t be the only opportunity to see Steve Martin on the small screen this year, as the beloved comic will be the focus of a two-part documentary debuting on Apple TV+ this month. Daniel Kreps, Rolling Stone, 6 Mar. 2024 The 46-year-old Australian comic — who uses they/them pronouns — is the host of a new comedy special Hannah Gadsby’s Gender Agenda, which premiered globally on Netflix on Tuesday. Lizzie Hyman, Peoplemag, 5 Mar. 2024 Would a comic this perceptive really step off the stage and spew hatred for its own sake? TIME, 23 Feb. 2024 For a comic who cares about being relatable, success can be tricky to navigate. Jason Zinoman, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Feb. 2024 In the ‘Joker’s Journal,’ Batman gets his very own comic within a comic book about him. Josh Weiss, Forbes, 14 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'comic.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Latin comicus, from Greek kōmikos, from kōmos revel

First Known Use

Adjective

1567, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1687, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of comic was in 1567

Dictionary Entries Near comic

Cite this Entry

“Comic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/comic. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

comic

1 of 2 adjective
com·​ic ˈkäm-ik How to pronounce comic (audio)
1
: of or relating to comedy
a comic actor
2
: causing laughter or amusement : funny
3
: of or relating to comic strips

comic

2 of 2 noun
1
2
b
plural : the part of a newspaper devoted to comic strips

More from Merriam-Webster on comic

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