comic

adjective com·ic \ ˈkä-mik \

|Updated on: 12 Aug 2018

Tip: Synonym Guide

Examples: comic in a Sentence

Definition of comic

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

See comic defined for English-language learners

See comic defined for kids

Examples of comic in a Sentence

The drama has some comic moments.
His comic timing is impeccable.
The scene was included for comic effect.

Recent Examples of comic from the Web

The songs by Martin and Brickell, though not always melodically memorable, set comic and dramatic moods effectively.

— lawrence toppman, charlotteobserver, "‘Bright Star,’ a musical tale of NC mountain life, glows steadily and endearingly," 27 June 2018
Reed is more playful with the mechanics of his world this time around, more fluidly shrinking and enlarging his heroes to both comic and cool effect.

— graeme mcmillan, The Hollywood Reporter, "'Ant-Man and The Wasp': What the Critics Are Saying," 27 June 2018
Amer has been sharpening stories of his long path from evacuee to citizen over the years into a routine that should launch him from buzzy comic to stand-up star.

— andrew dansby, San Antonio Express-News, "Houston comedian Mo Amer has poetry in his blood, and a Netflix special coming up," 26 June 2018
Part of the Catonsville branch of the Baltimore County Public Library will transform into a mini-comic and superhero convention on Saturday, June 30.

— cody boteler, baltimoresun.com, "Catonsville library to host third annual Comic Con," 21 June 2018
Not Everyone Is Sure About #BoycottStarbucks Stand-up comic and television host W. Kamau Bell wrote in a long Twitter thread that the apparent discrimination in this case isn’t unique to Starbucks.

— hallie detrick, Fortune, "What You Need to Know About the Movement to Boycott Starbucks," 16 Apr. 2018
Nominations: 12 Written and directed by the team behind Gilmore Girls, Mrs. Maisel is a wish-fulfillment fantasy about a 1950s housewife in New York City who throws off the mantle of the patriarchy to become a raunchy stand-up comic.

— emily dreyfuss, WIRED, "9 Emmy-Nominated Shows You Can Binge to Escape Reality," 13 July 2018
Luckily, a banana leaf of comic proportion sheltered her head.

— neima jahromi, The New Yorker, "Gilligan’s at Soho Grand," 12 July 2018
But that comic series' small-suit, big-screen debut was still glued to Avengers plot lines, which arguably dragged its momentum and fun.

— sam machkovech, Ars Technica, "Ant-Man and the Wasp review: Even smaller scale, even bigger heart," 6 July 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'comic.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of comic

Latin comicus, from Greek kōmikos, from kōmos revel

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First Known Use: 1567

in the meaning defined at sense 1

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comic Synonyms

Synonym Discussion of 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

comic

noun

Definition of comic

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

See comic defined for English-language learners

Examples of comic in a Sentence

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 of comic from the Web

Crime and horror comics were widely criticized as promoting juvenile delinquency.

— jeet heer, The New Republic, "Steve Ditko, the co-creator of Spider-Man and Doctor Strange, is dead.," 7 July 2018
All three comics are Trump critics to varying degrees.

— Washington Post, "Trump makes runoff election for SC governor about him, too," 26 June 2018
For Evan Keeling, comics are more than a humorous pastime or even an artistic medium.

— kate keller, Smithsonian, "How This Comic Maker Plans to Make Everyone an Artist," 18 June 2018
Thanks to his patient lectures and the occasional conservative rant, the Cold War was as much a part of my childhood as wiffle ball or Iron Man comics.

— Longreads, "The Cold War and its Fallout," 16 June 2018
The film was widely ridiculed following the summit, with late night comics and even the New York Times getting in on the act with spoof versions of their own.

— euan mckirdy, CNN, "Destiny Pictures founder claims mistaken identity, distances himself from Trump video," 14 June 2018
Or, feast your eyes on some independent comics or a party full of pugs this weekend in Chicago.

— adam lukach, RedEye Chicago, "5 things to do this weekend in Chicago," 31 May 2018
Stand-up comics are a massive presence in today's entertainment industry.

— CBS News, "Behind the Improv empire of Budd Friedman, "godfather of comedy clubs"," 26 May 2018
But Zimbabwe’s comics are not merely the beneficiaries of political change.

— The Economist, "Satire is booming after Robert Mugabe’s fall," 24 May 2018

First Known Use of comic

1687

in the meaning defined at sense 2

See Words from the same year

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comic Synonyms

Synonyms

comedy, comicality, drollery, drollness, funniness, hilariousness, humor, humorousness, richness, uproariousness;

Antonyms

pathos;

Near Antonyms

agony, anguish, dolor, grief, heartache, heartbreak, misery, sorrow, torment, torture, tribulation, woe;

gravity, seriousness, soberness, solemnity, solemnness, somberness;

Related Words

amusement, enjoyment, fun, pleasure;

absurdity, irony, laughableness, ludicrousness, ridiculousness;

whimsicality, wittiness, wryness;

burlesque, caricature, farce, jest, lampoon, parody, satire, slapstick, spoof, takeoff;

jocularity, jokiness, playfulness, waggishness;

COMIC Defined for English Language Learners

comic

adjective

Definition of comic for English Language Learners

: of or relating to a comedy
: causing laughter or amusement

comic

noun

Definition of comic for English Language Learners

: a person who performs in front of an audience and makes people laugh by telling jokes or funny stories or by acting in a funny way
the comics : the comic strips in a newspaper : the part of a newspaper that has comic strips