comic relief

American  

noun

1. an amusing scene, incident, or speech introduced into serious or tragic elements, as in a play, in order to provide temporary relief from tension, or to intensify the dramatic action.

2. relief from tension caused by the introduction or occurrence of a comic element, as by an amusing human foible.

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Etymology

Origin of comic relief

First recorded in 1815–25

Example Sentences

This no doubt came as comic relief to the Cuban diaspora in the U.S. who had their property and wealth expropriated years ago.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 19, 2026

Some of them—say, Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino’s 2012 motorcycle crash with a female employee–even get milked for comic relief.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 13, 2025

Her co-star, Sean Amsing, provides plenty of comic relief as Roberto, a bon vivant who says things like, “Everything I know about France, I learned from ‘Ratatouille.’”

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 3, 2025

“He’s very much the comic relief in the early episodes,” Wyle says.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 5, 2025

The thing is, we never saw him as a person, just as an object of comic relief.

From "Challenger Deep" by Neal Shusterman