slapstick

American  

[slap-stik] / ˈslæpˌstɪk /

noun

1. broad comedy characterized by boisterous action, as the throwing of pies in actors' faces, mugging, and obvious farcical situations and jokes.

2. a stick or lath used by harlequins, clowns, etc., as in pantomime, for striking other performers, especially a combination of laths that make a loud, clapping noise without hurting the person struck.

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adjective

1. using, or marked by the use of, broad farce and horseplay.

   a slapstick motion picture.

slapstick British  

/ ˈslæpˌstɪk /

noun

1. 1. comedy characterized by horseplay and physical action

   2. ( as modifier )

      slapstick humour

2. a flexible pair of paddles bound together at one end, formerly used in pantomime to strike a blow to a person with a loud clapping sound but without injury

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Etymology

Origin of slapstick

An Americanism dating back to 1895–1900; slap ¹ + stick ¹

Explanation

Slapstick is a ridiculous, exaggerated type of humor. Old movies by Laurel and Hardy and the Marx Brothers are good examples of slapstick. Imagine the laughs you get with the strategic use of a whoopee cushion, and you'll get a sense of what slapstick is. Pratfalls and other physical comedy are an important element of slapstick, from Buster Keaton films, to "I Love Lucy," to "Home Alone." The word slapstick comes from a theatrical device invented in the 16th century—a slap stick, two slats of wood that could be smacked together to mimic the sound of a slap.

Example Sentences

The narrator’s mishandling of his cellphone reprises the author’s delightful affinity for physical slapstick.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 31, 2026

It used to be slapstick gags like this all the way around.

From Slate • Mar. 7, 2026

Stuttgart added another in slapstick fashion when Atakan Karazor fell in the box and squeezed the ball over the line with his hip in stoppage time.

From Barron's • Feb. 4, 2026

It’s a shade of slapstick in a movie constructed around juvenile pratfalls and targeted destruction that allows O’Hara’s mom to retain her dignity.

From Salon • Feb. 4, 2026

It does, however, have a similar slapstick sense of humour.

From "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" by J.K. Rowling