comic

[ kom-ik ]

adjective

1. of, relating to, or characterized by comedy:

   comic opera.

2. of or relating to a person who acts in or writes comedy:

   a comic actor; a comic dramatist.

3. of, relating to, or characteristic of comedy:

   comic situations; a comic sense.

4. provoking laughter; humorous; funny; laughable.

noun

1. a comedian.
2. comic book.
3. comics, comic strips.
4. the comic, the element or quality of comedy in literature, art, drama, etc.:

   An appreciation of the comic came naturally to her.

comic

/ ˈkɒmɪk /

adjective

1. of, relating to, characterized by, or characteristic of comedy
2. prenominal acting in, writing, or composing comedy

   a comic writer

3. humorous; funny

noun

1. a person who is comic, esp a comic actor; comedian
2. a book or magazine containing comic strips
3. usually plural comic strips in newspapers, etc

Other Words From

• non·comic adjective noun
• quasi-comic adjective
• semi·comic adjective
• un·comic adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of comic¹

1350–1400; Middle English < Latin cōmicus < Greek kōmikós, equivalent to kôm ( os ) a revel + -ikos -ic

Word History and Origins

Origin of comic¹

C16: from Latin cōmicus, from Greek kōmikos relating to comedy

Example Sentences

The comic, who has made waves in the stand-up scene in recent years, announced Tuesday that he will take his material on the road with a new tour set to launch in 2025.

From Los Angeles Times

Director Sam Pinkleton turns up the party volume in a revival that sometimes allows the comic ambiance to get the better of its emotional through line.

From Los Angeles Times

The group has been travelling to villages, meeting Naga elders, organising lectures and distributing educational materials such as comic books and videos to spread awareness.

From BBC

Eventually, philosophers arrived at the superiority theory of humor, according to which every joke is, at its core, a hostile attack designed to affirm the comic’s dominance and assure the subjugation of its target.

From Salon

Fortunately, Wilson and Mandvi are adept enough comics not to fall into that trap even as they avoid the equally damaging peril of too much audience-pandering horseplay.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• clown
• comedian
• humorist
• stooge