comic relief

American  

noun

1. an amusing scene, incident, or speech introduced into serious or tragic elements, as in a play, in order to provide temporary relief from tension, or to intensify the dramatic action.

2. relief from tension caused by the introduction or occurrence of a comic element, as by an amusing human foible.

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Etymology

Origin of comic relief

First recorded in 1815–25

Example Sentences

They also completed a 24-hour danceathon in 2019 for Comic Relief, raising more than £1m by dancing non-stop for 24 hours and five minutes.

From BBC

He wrote for the first “Comic Relief,” hosted by Robin Williams, Billy Crystal and Whoopi Goldberg.

From Los Angeles Times

That and the dozen “Comic Relief” telethons that followed raised awareness and money to fight poverty in the U.S. and elsewhere.

From Los Angeles Times

Some of them—say, Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino’s 2012 motorcycle crash with a female employee–even get milked for comic relief.

From The Wall Street Journal

She also hosted Comic Relief, The Great British Sewing Bee and The Piano talent show on Channel 4, as well as a raft of shows on BBC Radio 2.

From BBC