comic relief

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.

Word History and Origins

Origin of comic relief¹

First recorded in 1815–25

Example Sentences

Perhaps for comic relief, another living megasaur of ’70s counterculture, Sam Shepard, shows up briefly to jam, atrociously, with Smith on acoustic guitar.

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In a video posted to her Instagram account, the Comic Relief host said she was "very angry" by the discovery but feels in a "much more positive place".

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The buffoonery recalled by director Raissa Botterman is just a little comic relief from the absolutely vicious back-and-forth in which the Philadelphia mob factions were engaged.

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Vicky Curtis-Cresswell said she had felt "pure joy" after winning Larkfields in the Omaze and Comic Relief raffle, held earlier this year.

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The comedian and actor, who co-founded Comic Relief in 1985, was knighted by the late Queen Elizabeth II in 2015 for services to drama and charity.

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