comic

1 of 2

adjective

com·​ic ˈkä-mik 

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

a

: comic strip

b

: comic book

c

comics plural : the part of a newspaper devoted to comic strips

Synonyms

Adjective

• antic
• chucklesome
• comedic
• comical
• droll
• farcical
• funny
• hilarious
• humoristic
• humorous
• hysterical
• hysteric
• killing
• laughable
• ludicrous
• ridiculous
• riotous
• risible
• screaming
• sidesplitting
• uproarious

Noun

• card
• comedian
• droll
• farceur
• funnyman
• gagger
• gagman
• gagster
• humorist
• jester
• joker
• jokester
• wag
• wit

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

But this nearly 50-year-old film nevertheless surprises for how fresh its comedic sensibility is and its modern comic point of view. —Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 9 Dec. 2024

Escola’s brazenly ahistorical Mary Todd is one of those devilish comic creations, such as Jiminy Glick or Pee-wee Herman, that seems less invented than sprung free, never to return. —Michael Schulman, The New Yorker, 9 Dec. 2024

Noun

The comic was an entertainment renaissance man who wrote endless lines of poetry, built his own props, and had countless ideas for movies and TV shows that nobody ever took seriously. —Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 29 Nov. 2024

There’s a digital painting of an eerie glasshouse overgrown with red roses by Zhang Xiaotong; Too Rich City, a digital video depicting a surreal Chinese cityscape; and a humorous digital comic by Tang Xinrui where a human are the ones ogled by fish at an aquarium. —Ann Binlot, ARTnews.com, 29 Nov. 2024

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

Phrases Containing comic

• comic book
• comic opera
• comic relief
• comic strip

Kids Definition

comic

1 of 2 adjective

com·​ic ˈkäm-ik 

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

: comedian sense 2

2

a

: comic strip

b

plural : the part of a newspaper devoted to comic strips