comic

1.adjectiveB1

Definition

describes a person, action, or thing that is amusing and makes you smile or laugh — for example, a funny expression on someone's face, or a silly mistake that turns into a cheerful situation.

Example

Ravi's comic way of telling the story had everyone at the dinner party laughing.

collocation: comic way of + verb-ing

The movie has several comic moments, like a dog running through a wedding.

Common collocations

comic moment
comic scene
comic story
comic way of + verb-ing
comic look

Synonyms

funny
more common and casual; can describe any amusing situation or remark
humorous
suggests clever, intentional wit rather than silly or physical humour
amusing
gentler than funny; implies mild entertainment rather than strong laughter
comical
often emphasises a strange or exaggerated appearance that causes laughter

Antonyms

serious
not intended to be funny; opposite in tone
solemn
formal and serious, without any humour

Common Mistakes

He looked very comic in that oversized hat.

He looked very comical in that oversized hat.

'Comical' often describes something that looks funny in a strange or unexpected way, while 'comic' is more commonly used for things that are deliberately meant to be funny, such as a comic play or a comic style.

2.adjectiveB2

Definition

relating to the type of entertainment that uses humour to make an audience laugh — for example, a comic writer who creates funny scripts, a comic performance on stage, or comic theatre.

Example

Hana wants to become a comic writer and create funny shows for television.

collocation: comic writer / comic actor / comic performance

The school play was a comic show that made fun of life in a small town.

Common collocations

comic writer
comic actor
comic performance
comic theatre
comic timing
comic effect
comic genius

Synonyms

comedic
more formal; refers specifically to the style or technique of comedy
comedy
used as a noun adjunct (comedy writer); more direct
humorous
broader; not limited to the genre of comedy

Antonyms

dramatic
relating to serious drama rather than comedy
tragic
relating to tragedy, the opposite genre

Usage Note

This sense is almost always used before a noun, like 'comic actor', 'comic writer', or 'comic theatre'. It describes the field or genre of comedy, not whether something is itself funny.

Common Mistakes

That actor is very comic.' (ambiguous — could mean funny or in comedy)

That actor works in comic theatre.

Use a noun after 'comic' to make the meaning clear when referring to the comedy genre.

1.nounA2

Definition

a printed or digital publication that tells a story through a series of drawings or pictures, often with words inside speech bubbles above the characters.

Example

Every Sunday, Yara buys a new comic from the shop near her school.

collocation: buy a comic / read a comic

The librarian put the comics on a low shelf so the children could reach them.

Common collocations

read a comic
buy a comic
collect comics
draw a comic
comic shop
comic collection

Synonyms

comic book
full form, more common in American English
graphic novel
a longer, more serious comic in book form, often with deeper themes
manga
a Japanese style of comic, read from right to left

Usage Note

In everyday speech, 'comic' is often short for 'comic book' or 'comic magazine'. The longer form 'comic book' is more common in American English, while 'comic' alone is natural in both British and American English.

Common Mistakes

I bought a comic story yesterday.' (wrong sense — 'comic' as a noun is the book itself, not a story within it)

I bought a comic yesterday.

'Comic' as a noun refers to the whole publication.

2.nounB1

Definition

a performer whose job is to make an audience laugh by telling jokes, doing funny actions, or acting in amusing ways — also called a comedian.

Example

The comic told a joke about his cat and the audience laughed for a minute.

collocation: the comic told a joke

Nadia works as a comic at a small club downtown, doing shows every Friday night.

Common collocations

stand-up comic
the comic told a joke
work as a comic
young comic

Synonyms

comedian
the standard term; more common in formal contexts
humorist
a writer or speaker who uses humour, often in a more intellectual way
stand-up
a comic who performs live on stage with a microphone

Usage Note

When 'comic' means a person, it is interchangeable with 'comedian' in most contexts. 'Comedian' is more common in formal or written English; 'comic' often sounds slightly more informal.

Common Mistakes

The comic told a fun story about her holiday.' (too vague — comics tell jokes, not just fun stories)

The comic told a hilarious joke about airline food.

'Comic' as a person specifically performs comedy routines and tells jokes.

3.nounB1

Definition

a regular section in a newspaper, magazine, or website where short funny picture stories, commonly called comic strips, appear each day.

Example

My grandfather reads the comic in the newspaper before anything else every morning.

collocation: the comic in the newspaper

The comic on page twelve shows a grumpy cat and a cheerful dog who are neighbours.

Common collocations

the comic in the newspaper
the newspaper's comic
read the comic
comics page

Synonyms

comics section
more formal term for the collected comic strips in a newspaper
comics page
the specific page where comic strips appear

Usage Note

In this sense 'the comic' often refers to a specific section or feature within a publication. You can also say 'the comics' (plural) to mean the whole section containing several strips.

Idioms

comic strip

idiom

a short series of drawings in a row that tells a funny story, printed regularly in newspapers or published online.

The most popular comic strip in the country features a boy and his talking dog.

Beatriz draws a weekly comic strip for her college newspaper about student life.

comic relief

idiom

a funny moment, character, or scene in a serious story, play, or film that gives the audience a break from tension or sadness.

The funny neighbour in the drama provides a moment of comic relief whenever the plot gets too heavy.

In a sad movie about a family farewell, a comic relief scene with a clumsy dog made the audience laugh.

Word family

comedy
nounA2
comedian
nounB1
comical
adjectiveB1
comically
adverbC1
comic strip
nounB1

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

All four words describe things that make you laugh or smile, but they differ in tone and use. 'Funny' is the most common and casual word — it can describe anything from a joke to an embarrassing situation. 'Humorous' suggests a more intentional, clever kind of wit, often found in writing or speech. 'Comical' often describes something that looks or sounds funny in an exaggerated, physical way — like a person's strange appearance or a clumsy fall. 'Amusing' is gentler than 'funny'; it implies mild entertainment rather than strong laughter, and often refers to an interesting or pleasant diversion. For example: 'The comedian told a very funny joke about aeroplanes' (simple laughter); 'Her humorous essay about travel was clever and well written'; 'His comical attempt to fix the sink ended in a flood of water'; 'The museum was amusing but not hilarious.'

funny ↗humorous ↗comicalamusing ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

comic timing
comic effect
comic genius
comic relief

Etymology

GreekLatinFrenchEnglish

The word 'comic' entered English in the late 1500s, coming through French 'comique' from Latin 'cōmicus', which was borrowed from Greek 'kōmikos'. The Greek root 'kōmikos' means 'relating to comedy', and it comes from 'kōmos', meaning a merry-making or festive procession. The word has always been connected to laughter and entertainment — first in ancient Greek theatre, later in plays and printed humour, and now in books, films, and online content.

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comic

comic — adjective

1. describes a person, action, or thing that is amusing and makes you smile or laug

Common Mistakes

2. relating to the type of entertainment that uses humour to make an audience laugh

Usage Note

Common Mistakes

comic — noun

1. a printed or digital publication that tells a story through a series of drawings

Usage Note

Common Mistakes

2. a performer whose job is to make an audience laugh by telling jokes, doing funny

Usage Note

Common Mistakes

3. a regular section in a newspaper, magazine, or website where short funny picture

Usage Note

comic strip

comic relief

Word family

Synonym discussion

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

Etymology

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