slapstick
noun
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The idea that knocking people about made for good comedy dates as far back as the Greco-Roman theater, where clowns rambunctiously "attacked" one another onstage. The object from which the word slapstick derives, however, was invented in Italy in the 16th century. Renaissance comedy typically featured stock characters placed in ridiculous situations, and one such ubiquitous character was Harlequin, whose brilliant costuming made him easily recognizable. Harlequin was given to wielding a paddle which was designed to make a terrible noise when he hit someone, usually to the delight of the audience. This paddle was eventually known in English as a "slapstick," and it became a symbol of that type of highly physical comedy. The word slapstick then came to refer to the comedy itself.
Examples of slapstick in a Sentence
Allison Degrushe Published, EW.com, 2 Aug. 2025
In Schaffer’s delightful version, the flurry of double entendres, slapstick humor and surprise celebrity cameos remains; the cringey quips about race and disability are a thing of the past.
—Eric Andersson, People.com, 30 July 2025
The three-man comedy factory that ruled the 1980s with their fusillades of slapstick, sight gags, loopy non sequiturs and winking innuendo was David Zucker, Jim Abrahams and Jerry Zucker — Hollywood’s ZAZ before David Zaslav.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 30 July 2025
With this over-the-top family drama, Perry delivers his signature mixture of slapstick comedy and warm sentiment, shining a spotlight on a frighteningly familiar brand of chaos that somehow always seems to bring families closer.
—Travis Bean, Forbes.com, 4 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for slapstick
Cite this Entry
“Slapstick.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/slapstick. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025.
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