comedy
Americannoun
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comedies
plural
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a play, movie, etc., of light and humorous character with a happy or cheerful ending; a dramatic work in which the central motif is the triumph over adverse circumstance, resulting in a successful or happy conclusion.
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that branch of the drama which concerns itself with this form of composition.
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the comic element of drama, of literature generally, or of life.
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any literary composition dealing with a theme suitable for comedy, or employing the methods of comedy.
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any comic or humorous incident or series of incidents.
- Synonyms:
- banter, pleasantry, humor
noun
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a dramatic or other work of light and amusing character
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the genre of drama represented by works of this type
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(in classical literature) a play in which the main characters and motive triumph over adversity
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the humorous aspect of life or of events
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an amusing event or sequence of events
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humour or comic style
the comedy of Chaplin
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of comedy
1350–1400; Middle English comedye < Medieval Latin cōmēdia, Latin cōmoedia < Greek kōmōidía, equivalent to kōmōid ( ós ) comedian ( kômo ( s ) merry-making + aoidós singer) + -ia -y 3
Explanation
A comedy is funny business — it can be an amusing play or movie with a happy ending, or something that happened that made you laugh. A comedy tries to entertain through honest depictions of life, unlike burlesque, which aims to please its audience through satire, or farce, which relies on absurdity. Charlie Chaplin observed, “Life is a tragedy when seen in close-up, but a comedy in long-shot.” In other words (of disputed origin), "Tragedy plus time equals comedy." When you slipped on that banana peel and broke your nose? Tragedy! But once you got better, you realized it was actually kind of funny.
Vocabulary lists containing comedy
Ancient Greece - Introductory
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Literary Genres - Introductory
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Reading: Literature - Literary Genres - Introductory
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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:
After taking up comedy classes and street performances on the East Coast, Zucker quickly transitioned to working in theater and eventually moved to L.A. at 18 to pursue comedy, interning at Upright Citizens Brigade.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 25, 2026
Parton re-recorded I Will Always Love You in 1982 for her starring role in the musical comedy film, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas.
From BBC ● Aug. 25, 2026
The movie “9 to 5” from 1980 settled her broadening stardom; acting alongside Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin in a comedy about three office workers who get even with an abusive boss, Parton charmed viewers.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 25, 2026
Chaplin was a master of blending political and social commentary with broad comedy.
From Salon ● Aug. 22, 2026
“Dude, you’re like a veritable king of comedy, you know that? Hey, do you wear diapers?”
From "Burning Blue" by Paul Griffin
A neighborhood once appreciated primarily by locals has become internationally recognizable, with fans eager to experience the setting that brought one of TV’s most beloved comedies to life.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 10, 2026
For the TV category, roughly 28% of the 1,607 shoot days last quarter were for projects that benefited from the tax incentive, particularly for dramas and comedies.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026
It doesn't have to be sport either - there are amazing dramas, comedies, music, children's shows and news coverage across the BBC, to mention just a few things.
From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2026
By the late teens he was directing comedies.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 15, 2026
Couples danced to the latest hits while fireworks exploded overhead, or they enjoyed light comedies performed by a local stock company, in a theater that served as a casino between productions.
From "The Best of Enemies" by Osha Gray Davidson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
