slapstick
noun
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The idea that knocking people about made for good comedy dates as far back as the Greco-Roman theater, where clowns rambunctiously "attacked" one another onstage. The object from which the word slapstick derives, however, was invented in Italy in the 16th century. Renaissance comedy typically featured stock characters placed in ridiculous situations, and one such ubiquitous character was Harlequin, whose brilliant costuming made him easily recognizable. Harlequin was given to wielding a paddle which was designed to make a terrible noise when he hit someone, usually to the delight of the audience. This paddle was eventually known in English as a "slapstick," and it became a symbol of that type of highly physical comedy. The word slapstick then came to refer to the comedy itself.
Examples of slapstick in a Sentence
Baz Bamigboye, Deadline, 24 Oct. 2025
In arguably Buster Keaton’s most experimental film, the silent-era slapstick comedian plays a movie projectionist who dreams of becoming a detective.
—Erik Morse, Vogue, 23 Oct. 2025
In every one of these Thomas McGuane stories, something is going to be very wrong and yet probably hilarious—existential slapstick in ventriloquial voices with such precise language and restraint that his sentences will literally shine up off the page.
—Literary Hub, 23 Oct. 2025
Set after the attacks of October 7, Y (played with slapstick elasticity by poet and playwright Ariel Bronz) pimps himself out for wild, debaucherous parties while the world burns.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 21 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for slapstick
Cite this Entry
“Slapstick.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/slapstick. Accessed 26 Oct. 2025.
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