comical
Americanadjective
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producing laughter; amusing; funny.
a comical fellow.
-
Obsolete. pertaining to or of the nature of comedy.
adjective
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causing laughter
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ludicrous; laughable
Synonym Usage
See amusing.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of comical
late Middle English word dating back to 1400–50; see origin at comic, -al 1
Explanation
Something comical is humorous, amusing, silly, or just plain funny; it makes people laugh. When you think comical, think laughter-causing. Stand-up comedians and comic strips intend to be comical. People like to share comical moments: for example, by posting videos of their pets doing comical things, like a dog going bananas in a water sprinkler. Just like the dog doesn't know it's being funny, people are unintentionally comical too. If a person absorbed in his cell phone conversation falls down a manhole, many will find it comical.
Vocabulary lists containing comical
Out of the Dust
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List 2
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Florida's B.E.S.T. Common Suffixes: -al, -ial
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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.
The production, directed by Margaret Shigeko Starbuck, runs with the makeshift energy and comical freedom that this contextual shift allows.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 5, 2026
The unresolved trade issues between the two sides, a list that is almost comical in both its breadth and specificity, suggests why Ford has so much pull.
From Slate ● Aug. 25, 2026
But a comical piece of equipment might be saving his season.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026
This spawned a series of comical situations, much slapstick and the use of fairly primitive special effects, mainly sped-up film.
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
The little black Adélies, with a shocking white ring around their eyes, made a comical sight for the crew as they tobogganed off the icebergs into the water.
From "Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World" by Jennifer Armstrong
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.
