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 That particular transformation comes off as high comedy; despite his tragic life, Schulz was a very funny writer. Kathryn Schulz, The New Yorker, 18 Dec. 2023 In a scene of high comedy, French Inspector Lavalle, insists that the criminal mastermind behind the theft must be French. John Hopewell, Variety, 18 Dec. 2023 Its other engine is humor: The scenes that take place in 1809 are, for a long time, high comedy in the Oscar Wilde vein, and the play’s modern characters are no slouches in the wit department either. Sara Holdren, Vulture, 17 Nov. 2023 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

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 19 Apr. 2024.

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