comic
pronunciation
How to pronounce comic in British English:
UK [ˈkɒmɪk]
How to pronounce comic in American English:
US [ˈkɑːmɪk]
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- Noun:
- a professional performer who tells jokes and performs comical acts
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- Adjective:
- arousing or provoking laughter
- of or relating to or characteristic of comedy
Word Origin
- comic (adj.)
- late 14c., "of comedy in the dramatic sense," from Latin comicus "of comedy, represented in comedy, in comic style," from Greek komikos "of or pertaining to comedy," from komos (see comedy). Meaning "intentionally funny" first recorded 1791, and comedic (1630s) has since picked up the older sense of the word.Speaking of the masters of the comedic spirit (if I call it, as he does, the Comic Spirit, this darkened generation will suppose me to refer to the animal spirits of tomfools and merryandrews) .... [G.B. Shaw, 1897] Something that is comic has comedy as its aim or origin; something is comical if the effect is comedy, whether intended or not.
- comic (n.)
- "a comedian," 1580s, from comic (adj.). Latin adjective comicus also meant "a comic poet, writer of comedies." Meaning "a comic book or comic strip" is from 1889; comics for these collectively is from 1890. Comic strip first attested 1920; comic book is from 1941. Comic relief is attested from 1825.
Synonym
Antonym
Example
- 1. Like newspaper and book publishing , the comic book industry is on rocky footing .
- 2. And the grid pattern of his bestselling books on locomotion survives in the format of comic strips .
- 3. The stunt was masterminded by rick kirkman and jerry scott , creators of the baby blues comic strip .
- 4. Most recently , the company made a moon festival comic strip and released branded mooncakes just for its fastest growing market .
- 5. Others found her acidly comic tales strong meat .