comedy
Americannoun
-
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.
-
that branch of the drama which concerns itself with this form of composition.
-
the comic element of drama, of literature generally, or of life.
-
any literary composition dealing with a theme suitable for comedy, or employing the methods of comedy.
-
any comic or humorous incident or series of incidents.
- Synonyms:
- banter, pleasantry, humor
noun
-
a dramatic or other work of light and amusing character
-
the genre of drama represented by works of this type
-
(in classical literature) a play in which the main characters and motive triumph over adversity
-
the humorous aspect of life or of events
-
an amusing event or sequence of events
-
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
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Literary Genres - Introductory
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Reading: Literature - Literary Genres - Introductory
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
UK television personality Bill Oddie, best known for his role in the TV comedy series "The Goodies" and presenter of nature programmes, has died aged 85, his agent said Monday.
From Barron's ● Jul. 27, 2026
Martin and Lewis were the founding fathers of an anarchic, side-splitting brand of comedy that combined pratfalls, ad-libbed wordplay and a sustained demolition of the fourth floor.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 25, 2026
The trial heard the former postman, from Axminster in Devon, had gone to a pub and comedy club with his then-partner Evelyn Ballentyne on the night Atticus was fatally injured.
From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026
Marcello Hernández, Teyana Taylor and Andy Garcia star alongside the actor in this Netflix comedy about a 40-year-old who crashes a Miami bachelor party.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
Owen and George were like a nonstop comedy routine.
From "Two Degrees" by Alan Gratz
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
Most comedies plummet halfway through their second act.
From Salon ● Jul. 12, 2026
Meanwhile, Hollywood doesn’t make many broad theatrical comedies like this anymore.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 6, 2026
He laughed so hard at the comedies that sometimes he embarrassed us and we tried to tell him that people were looking at him.
From "Cheaper by the Dozen" by Frank B. Gilbreth Jr. and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey
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.
