comical

adjective

com·​i·​cal ˈkä-mi-kəl 

1

obsolete : of or relating to comedy

2

: causing laughter especially because of a startlingly or unexpectedly humorous impact

wearing a comical expression

comicality

ˌkä-mi-ˈka-lə-tē 

noun

comically

ˈkä-mi-k(ə-)lē 

adverb

Synonyms

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

Choose the Right Synonym for comical

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 comical in a Sentence

I must have looked comical in that big hat.

The way they argue is almost comical.

Recent Examples on the Web

Breakdown: The Story of B-Girl Raygun The almost comical performance of Australia’s representative for the new Olympic sport of breakdancing has turned into one of the most meme-able moments out of 2024’s games, but moreover, potentially one of the funniest scandals in sports history. —Harrison Richlin, IndieWire, 17 Aug. 2024

The Dodgers have had more pitchers on the injured list than other teams this season, an almost comical amount. —Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 12 Aug. 2024

To fix the problem, Redmond is recommending customers resort to a comical, but tried and true, method. —Michael Kan, PCMAG, 19 July 2024

As if that combination of words isn’t comical in itself, the character’s big gay moment was a passing line about her girlfriend. —Alex Abad-Santos, Vox, 21 June 2024

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

comical

adjective

com·​i·​cal ˈkäm-i-kəl 

: laughable, funny

comically

-i-k(ə-)lē 

adverb