Comedy

Definition

Comedy is a noun that refers to a genre of entertainment or literature characterized by humor, light-hearted situations, and often a happy or amusing ending. It is intended to amuse and entertain the audience, commonly through satire, irony, or exaggerated characters and situations.

Parts of Speech

• Noun

Pronunciation

American English

• IPA Pronunciation: /ˈkɑːmədi/
• Respelling: KAH-muh-dee

British English

• IPA Pronunciation: /ˈkɒmədi/
• Respelling: KOM-uh-dee

Etymology

The word "comedy" originates from the Greek "kōmōidia," a compound of "kōmos," meaning "revel" or "celebration," and "aoidos," meaning "singer." It entered Latin as "comoedia" and Old French as "comedie," before reaching Middle English as "comedy." The term traditionally referred to theatrical works with happy endings and humorous elements.

Derivatives

• Comedic (adjective)
• Comedian (noun)
• Comedienne (noun)
• Comedy-drama (noun)
• Comedize (verb, rare)

Synonyms

• Humor
• Satire
• Farce

Antonyms

• Tragedy
• Drama
• Sorrow

Usage

The term "comedy" is widely used to describe humorous entertainment, including plays, television shows, and films that focus on humor and amusement. For example, "She prefers comedy over drama," or "The comedy show had the audience laughing throughout."

Related Terms

• Tragedy: A genre of literature or drama characterized by serious themes and a sad or disastrous ending.
• Satire: A form of humor that uses irony or sarcasm to critique or mock.
• Farce: A sub-genre of comedy with exaggerated and improbable situations meant to entertain.

Detailed Definitions

Noun

• A genre of literature or entertainment that focuses on humor and amusement: Refers to works designed to entertain and provoke laughter through humorous situations and characters.
  • Example: "The play was a brilliant comedy with witty dialogue."
• A humorous or amusing event or series of events: Can describe situations or real-life occurrences that are unintentionally funny or lighthearted.
  • Example: "Their miscommunication turned into a real-life comedy of errors."