dark comedy
Americannoun
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a play, movie, etc., having elements of comedy and tragedy, often involving gloomy or morbid satire.
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a comedy based on problems of a personal or social nature.
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.
Before “The Bear” became a runaway hit, White was best known for his role on Showtime’s long-running dark comedy “Shameless,” while Edebiri primarily worked as a stand-up comedian and writer.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 26, 2026
Filmed in Malta and Gozo, the series also stars Leila Farzad and Hugh Skinner, whose performances lean further into the show's dark comedy.
From BBC ● May 16, 2026
A dark comedy is only as successful as its bleakest jokes.
From Salon ● Apr. 9, 2026
Although the title character creates plenty of speed bumps in the lives of the men and women in Gina Gionfriddo’s tough-minded dark comedy “Becky Shaw,” the terrain was rough to begin with.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 7, 2026
Her diary entry the next day makes her teamwork with Dina—whom Zhenya adored—sound like a kind of dark comedy duo.
From "A Thousand Sisters" by Elizabeth Wein
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.
