comic

1 of 2

adjective

com·​ic ˈkä-mik 

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

comic

2 of 2

noun

1

: comedian

a stand-up comic

2

: the comic element

3

a

: comic strip

b

: comic book

c

comics ˈkä-miks  plural : the part of a newspaper devoted to comic strips

Synonyms of comic

Adjective

• comedic
• humorous
• funny
• comical
• amusing

Noun

• comedian

Choose the Right Synonym for 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

Examples of comic in a Sentence

Adjective

The drama has some comic moments.

His comic timing is impeccable.

The scene was included for comic effect.

Noun

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 on the Web

Adjective

In the meantime, there’s a lot of unwieldy comic commotion involving a missing corpse, a tweaking, naked Dwight and enough insipid TV sibling bickering to clog the airwaves for a decade. — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 23 Sep. 2026

There’s also a parade of comic supporting turns that recalls those classic Hawks and Sturges comedies in the breadth and depth of the character actors Cassavetes employs. — Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 23 Sep. 2026

Noun

Carrot Top was forced to cancel his Las Vegas shows this weekend after the prop comic was hospitalized on Friday night. — Daniel Kreps, Rolling Stone, 19 Sep. 2026

The rare comic to release each of her first three specials to premium streamers, her last hour, Breadwinner, premiered on Hulu in October 2024. — Matt Grobar, Deadline, 17 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Latin comicus, from Greek kōmikos, from kōmos revel

First Known Use

Adjective

1567, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1687, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Phrases Containing comic

• comic book
• comic opera
• comic relief
• comic strip
• web comic

Rhymes for comic

• nomic
• adamic
• anomic
• atomic
• islamic
• meramec
• tokamak
• anatomic
• antidromic
• astronomic
• autonomic
• cryptogamic

Kids Definition

comic

1 of 2 adjective

com·​ic ˈkäm-ik 

1

: of or relating to comedy

a comic actor

2

: causing laughter or amusement : funny

3

: of or relating to comic strips

comic

2 of 2 noun

1

: comedian sense 2

2

a

: comic strip

b

plural : the part of a newspaper devoted to comic strips