low comedy

American  

noun

1. comedy that depends on physical action, broadly humorous or farcical situations, and often bawdy or vulgar jokes.

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low comedy British  

noun

1. comedy characterized by slapstick and physical action

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Other Word Forms

• low comedian noun

Etymology

Origin of low comedy

First recorded in 1600–10

Example Sentences

Sounds sad, but the show blends high and low comedy with weighty themes and melancholic moments.

From Los Angeles Times

Bottom’s acting troupe, meanwhile, provides low comedy of the highest order, as the bickering performers rehearse their play with a heaping dose of vaudevillian slapstick.

From Washington Post

What connects the novels and the stories is Barry’s style, a nervy mix of high poetry and low comedy that he applies with unceasing vigor.

From New York Times

Beckett, who miraculously balanced high literature with low comedy, is too complex for single-minded interpretations.

From Los Angeles Times

But he’s now knocking 70 and suffering through an undignified low comedy of back problems, tinnitus and spiritual malaise.

From The Guardian