Merriam-Webster Logo
SINCE 1828
Menu
dictionary thesaurus

black humor

noun

Definition of black humor 

: humor marked by the use of usually morbid, ironic, grotesquely comic episodes

Love words?

You must — there are over 200,000 words in our free online dictionary, but you are looking for one that’s only in the Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary.

Start your free trial today and get unlimited access to America's largest dictionary, with:

  • More than 250,000 words that aren't in our free dictionary
  • Expanded definitions, etymologies, and usage notes
  • Advanced search features
  • Ad free!

Other Words from black humor

black-humored \¦⸗¦⸗⸗ \ adjective
black humorist noun

First Known Use of black humor

1916, in the meaning defined above

History and Etymology for black humor

translation of French humour noir

Keep scrolling for more

Learn More about black humor

Share black humor

Statistics for black humor

Look-up Popularity

Time Traveler for black humor

The first known use of black humor was in 1916

See more words from the same year

Comments on black humor

What made you want to look up black humor? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

Show Comments  Hide Comments 

WORD OF THE DAY

tchotchke

a knickknack or trinket

Get Word of the Day daily email!

Test Your Vocabulary

Find the Cousins

  • a-large-tree-with-many-branches
  • Which pair shares a common word ancestor?
True or False

Test your knowledge - and maybe learn something along the way.

TAKE THE QUIZ
Citation

Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.

TAKE THE QUIZ

Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games