high comedy

American  

noun

1. comedy dealing with polite society, characterized by sophisticated, witty dialogue and an intricate plot.

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high comedy British  

noun

1. comedy set largely among cultured and articulate people and featuring witty dialogue Compare low comedy

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Other Word Forms

• high comedian
  noun

Etymology

Origin of high comedy

First recorded in 1890–95

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

high comedy

This makes for page after page of high comedy.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 14, 2023

“It was high comedy, it was funny and then to have it turn …”

From Slate ● May 1, 2023

I wonder if that was part of your education in finding that tension between the sorrow and the high comedy?

From Salon ● Mar. 30, 2023

In British television shows like “Gavin and Stacey” and “The Wrong Mans,” he perfected characters who achieved high comedy through constant pressure.

From New York Times ● Nov. 10, 2022

She was excellent in high comedy and recited poetry effectively.

From Women in the fine arts, from the Seventh Century B.C. to the Twentieth Century A.D. by Clara Erskine Clement Waters