Pythonesque

British

/ ˌpaɪθəˈnɛsk /

adjective

denoting a kind of humour that is absurd and unpredictable; zany; surreal

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of Pythonesque

C20: named after the British television show Monty Python's Flying Circus, first broadcast in 1969

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.

Somehow, it feels like the most absurdly Pythonesque solo project of all.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 13, 2026

This is a delicate, confidently imagined fiction made with the eyes of a naturalist, the heart of a believer in family, and a sensibility with room for both the Pythonesque and the Lynchian.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 6, 2026

Of course, things are far angrier than that in the world, and not nearly as Pythonesque.

From Salon • Nov. 16, 2023

When my farewell ceremony comes due, I implore Mr. Cleese to provide a suitable Pythonesque distraction, so my bibliofriends can slip my chosen books into my last book depository.

From New York Times • Sep. 18, 2020

Wood even set up his own dating platform for Monty Python fans, a Facebook group called Pythonesque Dating.

From The Guardian • Oct. 9, 2019

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023