comedy

[ kom-i-dee ]

noun

, plural com·e·dies.

1. a play, movie, etc., of light and humorous character with a happy or cheerful ending; a dramatic work in which the central motif is the triumph over adverse circumstance, resulting in a successful or happy conclusion.
2. that branch of the drama which concerns itself with this form of composition.
3. the comic element of drama, of literature generally, or of life.
4. any literary composition dealing with a theme suitable for comedy, or employing the methods of comedy.
5. any comic or humorous incident or series of incidents.

   Synonyms: banter, pleasantry, humor

comedy

/ ˈkɒmɪdɪ /

noun

1. a dramatic or other work of light and amusing character
2. the genre of drama represented by works of this type
3. (in classical literature) a play in which the main characters and motive triumph over adversity
4. the humorous aspect of life or of events
5. an amusing event or sequence of events
6. humour or comic style

   the comedy of Chaplin

comedy

1. A work — play, story, novel , or film — that ends happily for the main character (or protagonist ) and contains humor to some degree. A comedy may involve unhappy outcomes for some of the characters. Shylock , for example, in , a comedy by William Shakespeare , is disgraced in the play. The ancient Greeks and Romans produced comedies, and great numbers have been written in modern times.

Other Words From

• co·me·di·al [k, uh, -, mee, -dee-, uh, l], adjective
• pro·come·dy adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of comedy¹

1350–1400; Middle English comedye < Medieval Latin cōmēdia, Latin cōmoedia < Greek kōmōidía, equivalent to kōmōid ( ós ) comedian ( kômo ( s ) merry-making + aoidós singer) + -ia -y ³

Word History and Origins

Origin of comedy¹

C14: from Old French comédie, from Latin cōmoedia, from Greek kōmōidia, from kōmos village festival + aeidein to sing

Example Sentences

Users say they just want to be able to continue creating and watching video clips featuring users lip synching, dancing, and doing short comedy skits.

From Fortune

Comedy Central’s The Daily Show, in creating comedy content remotely.

From Vox

It’s been a mission and an adventure, it’s almost like a comedy.

From Digiday

It was sort of a comedy of errors, a series of mishaps, just poor medical advice, and obviously I accept responsibility.

From Ozy

The neighborhood is bordered by tree-lined Halsted Street on the north side of the city and is home to comedy clubs, theaters, and a young and vibrant nightlife.

From No Straight News

This is comedy based on a cold humor, detached, euphemistic, devoid of any generosity.

From The Daily Beast

Was that a transitional moment for you from music to comedy?

From The Daily Beast

You write a lot about how you were a jerk or a snob when it came to comedy or film.

From The Daily Beast

Decades ago, the writer-director wrote an episode of the animated comedy that never was.

From The Daily Beast

The memoir follows Oswalt from 1995 to 1999 as he was starting out on his comedy career in Los Angeles.

From The Daily Beast

Did he at all intrench upon your Sovereignty in Verse, because he had now and then written a Comedy that succeeded?

From Project Gutenberg

The play may be pure comedy, comedy-drama, tragedyeven farceor melodrama.

From Project Gutenberg

She laughed at the comedy and wept—she and the gaudy woman next to her wept over the tragedy.

From Project Gutenberg

It was a comedy on both sides, but it remained a comedy so long as those papers were not forthcoming.

From Project Gutenberg

I could not avoid meeting you, and I felt I could not play a comedy of lies as to my reason for not being able to go to Kamenka.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• farce
• fun
• humor
• satire
• sitcom