comedy
English
editAlternative forms
editEtymology
editFrom Middle English comedie, from Middle French comedie, from Latin cōmoedia, from Ancient Greek κωμῳδία (kōmōidía), from κῶμος (kômos, “revel, carousing”) + either ᾠδή (ōidḗ, “song”) or ἀοιδός (aoidós, “singer, bard”), both from ἀείδω (aeídō, “I sing”). Doublet of commedia.
Pronunciation
edit- (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˈkɒmədi/
- (General American) IPA(key): /ˈkɑmədi/
Audio (US): (file) - Hyphenation: com‧e‧dy
Noun
editcomedy (countable and uncountable, plural comedies)
- (countable, historical) a choric song of celebration or revel, especially in Ancient Greece
- (countable) a light, amusing play with a happy ending
- A Midsummer Night's Dream is among Shakespeare's most famous comedies.
- (countable, Medieval Europe) a narrative poem with an agreeable ending (e.g., The Divine Comedy)
- (countable, drama) a dramatic work that is light and humorous or satirical in tone
- (drama) the genre of such works
- (uncountable) entertainment composed of jokes, satire, or humorous performance
- Why would you be watching comedy when there are kids starving right now?
- the art of composing comedy
- (countable) a humorous event
Antonyms
edit- (antonym(s) of “light, humorous, or satirical work”): drama (in its narrower sense)
- (antonym(s) of “light, humorous, or satirical work”): tragedy
Hypernyms
edit- (light, humorous, or satirical work): drama (in its broader sense)
Hyponyms
edit- (light, humorous, or satirical work): farce
Derived terms
editExpressions with this term at the beginning
Expressions with this term at the end
Related terms
editDescendants
editTranslations
edita choric song of celebration or revel
a light, amusing play with a happy ending
|
(medieval Europe) a narrative poem with an agreeable ending
dramatic work that is light and humorous or satirical in tone
|
the genre of such works
|
See also
editReferences
edit- “comedy”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.
- “comedy”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.
Categories:
- English terms derived from Proto-Indo-European
- English terms derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *ḱens-
- English terms inherited from Middle English
- English terms derived from Middle English
- English terms derived from Middle French
- English terms derived from Latin
- English terms derived from Ancient Greek
- English doublets
- English 3-syllable words
- English terms with IPA pronunciation
- English terms with audio links
- English lemmas
- English nouns
- English uncountable nouns
- English countable nouns
- English terms with historical senses
- English terms with usage examples
- en:Drama
- en:Comedy