comic
Americanadjective
noun
-
comics
plural
-
a comedian.
-
comics, comic strips.
-
the comic, the element or quality of comedy in literature, art, drama, etc..
An appreciation of the comic came naturally to her.
adjective
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of, relating to, characterized by, or characteristic of comedy
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(prenominal) acting in, writing, or composing comedy
a comic writer
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humorous; funny
noun
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a person who is comic, esp a comic actor; comedian
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a book or magazine containing comic strips
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(usually plural) comic strips in newspapers, etc
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of comic
1350–1400; Middle English < Latin cōmicus < Greek kōmikós, equivalent to kôm ( os ) a revel + -ikos -ic
Explanation
Comic things have something to do with silliness, like the comic section in the newspaper or a comic scene in your favorite funny movie. Someone who tells jokes professionally is also a comic. If you want to be a comic, you're going to need to come up with a lot of comic material, jokes and stories that make people laugh. If standing up in front of a crowd isn't your thing, but you still want to tell funny tales, you might try drawing a comic strip instead! Comic goes back to the Greek kōmōidia, "amusing spectacle," and its roots, meaning "merrymaking" and "singer or poet."
Vocabulary lists containing comic
List 1
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Funny
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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:
His most high-profile role has been intergalactic warrior Drax, who has appeared in six of the comic book-inspired Marvel Cinematic Universe films.
From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026
As with every comic book superhero, it’s all in their origin stories.
From Salon ● Aug. 14, 2026
But the irrepressible Mr. Billingham turns even this Götterdämmerung into a glorious comic moment.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026
Meyer is a screenwriter-turned-filmmaker who met Stewart on the set of the underseen 2015 comic thriller “American Ultra.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026
Finally, he dropped his comic into his lap and looked at me.
From "Firegirl" by Tony Abbott
There’s an important aspect of specials, the business side of it, that I don’t think enough comics really get to learn until they’re confronted with it.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 18, 2026
Typically people dress up as characters -- human or otherwise -- from movies, series, comics, pop culture, fantasy, roleplay or computer games.
From Barron's ● Aug. 1, 2026
The show is normally anchored by a well-known comedian, who introduces two other comics to present their own stand-up routines at London's Hammersmith Apollo.
From BBC ● Jul. 29, 2026
The diary comics of interactions between stick-figure depictions of Wertz and her son, Felix, will resonate with anyone who has ever drowsed through days with a newborn.
From Salon ● Jun. 27, 2026
The top edge of Jeff’s comics were sticking out from between my books.
From "Firegirl" by Tony Abbott
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.
