comic

American  

[kom-ik] / ˈkɒm ɪk /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or characterized by comedy.

   comic opera.

2. of or relating to a person who acts in or writes comedy.

   a comic actor; a comic dramatist.

3. of, relating to, or characteristic of comedy.

   comic situations; a comic sense.

4. provoking laughter; humorous; funny; laughable.

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noun

• comics
  plural

1. a comedian.

2. comic book.

3. comics, comic strips.

4. the comic, the element or quality of comedy in literature, art, drama, etc..

   An appreciation of the comic came naturally to her.

comic British  

/ ˈkɒmɪk /

adjective

1. of, relating to, characterized by, or characteristic of comedy

2. (prenominal) acting in, writing, or composing comedy

   a comic writer

3. humorous; funny

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noun

1. a person who is comic, esp a comic actor; comedian

2. a book or magazine containing comic strips

3. (usually plural) comic strips in newspapers, etc

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• noncomic
  adjective
• quasi-comic
  adjective
• semicomic
  adjective
• uncomic
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• comics
  plural

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."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

comic comics

Reggie McFadden, “Def Comedy Jam” comic and “In Living Color” cast member, has died in Tanzania.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 5, 2026

Stunned comic Rob Beckett told him: "I think you've just done something that's never happened in the game - it is a bold strategy."

From BBC ● Oct. 1, 2026

Later, the film veers somewhat off course when it turns into a low-level comic crime caper in which Ha-Chan’s obsessive nature creates some strange situations.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 24, 2026

Whyland’s Stevie, serving as emcee when the occasion calls for one, combines genuine camaraderie with comic relief.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 22, 2026

My uncle Paul likes to think of it as a superpower, something from a comic book or a movie.

From "The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl" by Stacy McAnulty

The Lucas Museum pushes that approach further by making storytelling — not chronology, geography or medium — the organizing principle for an entire institution, placing illustration, comics and commercial art inside a curatorial framework.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 2026

The museum aims to celebrate visual storytelling in all its forms: among them fine art, photography, comics, science-fiction illustrations and, of course, movies.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 9, 2026

Michael McIntyre, Jimmy Carr, Aisling Bea, John Bishop and Mo Gilligan are among the comics who will perform at the event.

From BBC ● Sep. 4, 2026

Or, if you prefer superheroes: HBO’s new show adapts DC’s Green Lantern comics, but the series offers more than just your typical superhero fare.

From Slate ● Aug. 31, 2026

Grammy saves up comics from the Boston Globe to use as wrapping paper.

From "Shouting at the Rain" by Lynda Mullaly Hunt

Related Words

• clown
• comedian
• humorist
• stooge