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black comedy

American  

noun

  1. comedy that employs morbid, gloomy, grotesque, or calamitous situations in its plot.


Etymology

Origin of black comedy

First recorded in 1965–70


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.

See Examples For:

Ticket sales for the satirical black comedy, which stars Cruise as oil magnate Digger Rockwell, dropped by around 60% in the movie's second weekend.

From BBC ● Oct. 12, 2026

"For a black comedy, the numbers are not bad, but black comedies are small films and this isn't a small film, it's a Tom Cruise movie," Gross wrote.

From Barron's ● Oct. 4, 2026

Celebrate Labor Day with a new tradition: Sorry to Bother You, Boots Riley’s 2018 film starring LaKeith Stanfield, is a rollicking sci-fi black comedy about a dystopian workplace.

From Slate ● Sep. 4, 2026

Pattinson said he got the job just months after he asked Zendaya how he could join the “Dune” cast while on set filming their black comedy “The Drama.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 17, 2026

The head-slapping stupidity of the situation could only be viewed as black comedy.

From Underground by Suelette Dreyfus

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