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Synonyms

comical

American  
[kom-i-kuhl] / ˈkɒm ɪ kəl /

adjective

  1. producing laughter; amusing; funny.

    a comical fellow.

  2. Obsolete. pertaining to or of the nature of comedy.


comical British  
/ ˈkɒmɪkəl /

adjective

  1. causing laughter

  2. ludicrous; laughable

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Synonym Usage

See amusing.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Etymology

Origin of comical

late Middle English word dating back to 1400–50; see origin at comic, -al 1

Explanation

Something comical is humorous, amusing, silly, or just plain funny; it makes people laugh. When you think comical, think laughter-causing. Stand-up comedians and comic strips intend to be comical. People like to share comical moments: for example, by posting videos of their pets doing comical things, like a dog going bananas in a water sprinkler. Just like the dog doesn't know it's being funny, people are unintentionally comical too. If a person absorbed in his cell phone conversation falls down a manhole, many will find it comical.

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Vocabulary lists containing comical

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Comical as it is at times to watch 300-pound linemen lunge for volleyballs, the drill has a purpose.

From Washington Post • Dec. 3, 2022

Comical as it is when the arm, with taloned fingers, tap-taps at the skull, there’s an element of yearning there, too.

From New York Times • Oct. 8, 2021

His dispatches during the invasion were so far from reality that they earned him a second nickname, "Comical Ali."

From Salon • Oct. 21, 2019

Inspiressa, the favorite, was second and Comical finished third.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 1, 2019

This work, actually a translation of Furetière’s Roman Bourgeois, was omitted from The Whole Comical Works of Mons.

From The Library of William Congreve by Hodges, John Cunyus

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