comic

American  

[kom-ik] / ˈkɒm ɪk /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or characterized by comedy.

   comic opera.

2. of or relating to a person who acts in or writes comedy.

   a comic actor; a comic dramatist.

3. of, relating to, or characteristic of comedy.

   comic situations; a comic sense.

4. provoking laughter; humorous; funny; laughable.

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noun

• comics
  plural

1. a comedian.

2. comic book.

3. comics, comic strips.

4. the comic, the element or quality of comedy in literature, art, drama, etc..

   An appreciation of the comic came naturally to her.

comic British  

/ ˈkɒmɪk /

adjective

1. of, relating to, characterized by, or characteristic of comedy

2. (prenominal) acting in, writing, or composing comedy

   a comic writer

3. humorous; funny

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noun

1. a person who is comic, esp a comic actor; comedian

2. a book or magazine containing comic strips

3. (usually plural) comic strips in newspapers, etc

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• noncomic
  adjective
• quasi-comic
  adjective
• semicomic
  adjective
• uncomic
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• comics
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of comic

1350–1400; Middle English < Latin cōmicus < Greek kōmikós, equivalent to kôm ( os ) a revel + -ikos -ic

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Explanation

Comic things have something to do with silliness, like the comic section in the newspaper or a comic scene in your favorite funny movie. Someone who tells jokes professionally is also a comic. If you want to be a comic, you're going to need to come up with a lot of comic material, jokes and stories that make people laugh. If standing up in front of a crowd isn't your thing, but you still want to tell funny tales, you might try drawing a comic strip instead! Comic goes back to the Greek kōmōidia, "amusing spectacle," and its roots, meaning "merrymaking" and "singer or poet."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

comic comics

The original comic book's "rushed" ending is widely considered disappointing but original creator Tite Kubo has overseen some major changes to the new adaptation.

From BBC ● Oct. 26, 2026

The casting introduces its own familiar comic premise: the polished gay man enlisted to introduce his less domestically accomplished counterparts to the finer points of everyday living.

From Salon ● Oct. 25, 2026

Tremblay also said he could identify with Curtis, who tries to emulate the courage he sees in his favorite comic book and game characters.

From Barron's ● Oct. 25, 2026

Based on the comic book superhero Captain Marvel, who first appeared in an issue of Whiz Comics in 1939, “Shazam!” aired for three seasons on CBS from 1974 to 1976.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 23, 2026

Eventually he was going to make his own comic book.

From "Breadcrumbs" by Anne Ursu

"There are lots of famous northern comics," said the writer, whose own work was inspired by the likes of Victoria Wood, Alan Bennett and Morecambe and Wise.

From BBC ● Oct. 21, 2026

Clayface first appeared in DC comics in 1940 as a Batman villain, however the character has never been adapted for cinema, until now, and it is the first major studio movie role for Rhys Harries.

From BBC ● Oct. 17, 2026

Whether it’s borrowing from earlier artists, repurposing comics, or creating a series of mirrors, Lichtenstein’s focus on image replication is thoroughly documented in this show.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026

I don’t know why all films now seem to be either based on superhero comics or incredibly worthy dirges, hoping to win awards without the collateral damage of entertaining anyone en route.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 13, 2026

“The ones back there are children’s and young adult books. Fiction, nonfiction, novels and poetry, comics and graphic novels. Anything that I think you folks might enjoy.”

From "Clairboyance" by Kristiana Kahakauwila

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Related Words

• clown
• comedian
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