black humor

noun

1. a form of humor that regards human suffering as absurd rather than pitiable, or that considers human existence as ironic and pointless but somehow comic.

Word History and Origins

Origin of black humor¹

First recorded in 1965–70

Example Sentences

But the film quickly sheds any tendency toward black humor or sensuality in favor of its sexless pixie heroine.

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Through their perspectives, black humor flows freely, as the motivations and experiences that brought this motley crew together rise to the surface.

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After nearly three years, Apple TV+’s thriller returns with more sci-fi creepiness, nuanced social commentary and black humor.

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Its 10 episodes pack sci-fi creepiness, wry social commentary and black humor inside of a tightly constructed story that’s substantive and thrilling.

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The tension never lets up throughout “Longlegs,” though it is peppered with a dry, black humor that somehow just makes everything more disturbing.

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When To Use

What does black humor mean?

Black humor is a kind of comedy that jokes about serious or depressing topics, such as hopelessness, suffering, or death.The black in black humor refers to the dark or depressing subject matter that is central to such comedy. Similar terms are black comedy, dark humor, and gallows humor.Sometimes black comedy is used as a way to point out or reflect on the absurdity of life—or, more specifically, of the dark aspects of life, like death and war. But like other comedy, sometimes it’s just used to get a laugh. Either way, it’s very popular in modern media.