comic relief
noun
: a relief from the emotional tension especially of a drama that is provided by the interposition of a comic episode or element
Examples of comic relief in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Harris plays an expat American painter who becomes the comic relief and mediator between the two.
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Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 17 Apr. 2026
The cast is mostly stock characters, with several outrageous side characters helping out in the comic relief department.
—Adam Graham, Twin Cities, 16 Apr. 2026
Another Paradise tenant, Lady Diana (Monika Myers), a headstrong teenager with Down syndrome, is the closest thing the film has to comic relief.
—Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 12 Mar. 2026
The sarcastic portrait of Napoleon is a kind of comic relief, balancing the sympathy for Pierre, Prince Andrey, the young Rostov.
—Literary Hub, 9 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for comic relief
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Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 17 Apr. 2026
The cast is mostly stock characters, with several outrageous side characters helping out in the comic relief department.
—Adam Graham, Twin Cities, 16 Apr. 2026
Another Paradise tenant, Lady Diana (Monika Myers), a headstrong teenager with Down syndrome, is the closest thing the film has to comic relief.
—Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 12 Mar. 2026
The sarcastic portrait of Napoleon is a kind of comic relief, balancing the sympathy for Pierre, Prince Andrey, the young Rostov.
—Literary Hub, 9 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for comic relief
Cite this Entry
“Comic relief.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/comic%20relief. Accessed 25 Apr. 2026.
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