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

Scott Adams, whose “Dilbert” cartoon strip gave voice and comic relief to corporate employees baffled by the obfuscation and frequent incompetence of their bosses—until remarks considered racist in 2023 effectively ended his connections with mainstream newspapers and book publishers—died Tuesday in Pleasanton, Calif.

From The Wall Street Journal

They also completed a 24-hour danceathon in 2019 for Comic Relief, raising more than £1m by dancing non-stop for 24 hours and five minutes.

From BBC

He wrote for the first “Comic Relief,” hosted by Robin Williams, Billy Crystal and Whoopi Goldberg.

From Los Angeles Times

That and the dozen “Comic Relief” telethons that followed raised awareness and money to fight poverty in the U.S. and elsewhere.

From Los Angeles Times

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