high comedy

noun

: comedy employing subtle characterizations and witty dialogue compare low comedy

Examples of high comedy in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Performing for a Dutch audience presents a high comedy bar, Meyers explained. Nina Siegal, New York Times, 19 June 2023 The hosts’ easy banter buoys the conversation from debate to high comedy. Time, 16 June 2023 Certainly Gunda’s days, though they’re mostly spent suckling, snoozing or snuffling, seem full to bursting with the business of getting on with things, punctuated with periods of lazy contentment or high comedy. Jessica Kiang, Los Angeles Times, 15 Apr. 2021 There’s high fantasy, high comedy, and high jinks in this trailer. Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 25 July 2022 On the other hand, minutes after delivering this bit of high comedy, Pa was said to have gone off to meet with his girlfriend. Rosa Sanchez, Harper's BAZAAR, 10 Jan. 2023 Williams was careful to make that moment of high comedy fit the tone. Valli Herman, Los Angeles Times, 2 Aug. 2022 The ham-handed manner in which the Senate Republicans presented their case furnished some high comedy. Timothy Noah, The New Republic, 23 Mar. 2022 Creator Sam Levinson toys with our emotions from scene to scene, giving us high comedy (verging on camp) as well as pathos. Raven Smith, Vogue, 28 Feb. 2022 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'high comedy.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1707, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of high comedy was in 1707

Dictionary Entries Near high comedy

Cite this Entry

“High comedy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/high%20comedy. Accessed 26 Sep. 2023.

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