com·i·cal

(kŏm′ĭ-kəl)

adj.

1. Provoking mirth or amusement; funny.

2. Of or relating to comedy.

com′i·cal′i·ty (-kăl′ĭ-tē), com′i·cal·ness n.

com′i·cal·ly adv.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

comical

(ˈkɒmɪkəl)

adj

1. causing laughter

2. ludicrous; laughable

ˈcomically adv

ˈcomicalness, ˌcomiˈcality n

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

com•i•cal

(ˈkɒm ɪ kəl)

adj.

1. producing laughter; amusing; funny.

2. Obs. pertaining to or of the nature of comedy.

[1400–50]

com`i•cal′i•ty, n.

com′i•cal•ly, adv.

syn: See amusing.

comic

– comical – funny

1. 'comical'

When people or things seem amusing or absurd, you can describe them as comical.

There is something slightly comical about him.

2. 'comic'

Comic is used to describe things that are intended to make you laugh.

He is a great comic actor.

The novel is both comic and tragic.

Be Careful!
Don't use 'comical' to describe things that are intended to make you laugh. Don't say, for example, 'He is a great comical actor'.

3. 'funny'

The word that you usually use to describe someone or something that makes you laugh is funny.

Let me tell you a funny story.

Farid was smart and good-looking, and he could be funny when he wanted to.

Collins COBUILD English Usage © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 2004, 2011, 2012

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Adj.

comical - arousing or provoking laughter; "an amusing film with a steady stream of pranks and pratfalls"; "an amusing fellow"; "a comic hat"; "a comical look of surprise"; "funny stories that made everybody laugh"; "a very funny writer"; "it would have been laughable if it hadn't hurt so much"; "a mirthful experience"; "risible courtroom antics"

comic, funny, risible, amusing, laughable, mirthful

humorous, humourous - full of or characterized by humor; "humorous stories"; "humorous cartoons"; "in a humorous vein"

comical

adjective funny, entertaining, comic, silly, amusing, ridiculous, diverting, absurd, hilarious, ludicrous, humorous, priceless, laughable, farcical, whimsical, zany, droll, risible, side-splitting The whole situation suddenly struck her as being comical.

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

comical

adjective

1. Arousing laughter:

amusing, comic, droll, funny, humorous, laughable, risible, zany.

2. Deserving laughter:

comic, farcical, funny, laughable, laughing, ludicrous, ridiculous, risible.

Translations

مُضحك، هَزْلي، فُكاهي

komickýsměšný

komisk

komisch lächerlich

cómico

comique drôle cocasse

broslegur, fyndinn

smešen

comical

[ˈkɒmɪkəl] ADJ → cómico, gracioso

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

comical

[ˈkɒmɪk^əl] adj → amusant(e)comic book n → magazine m de BD, magazine m de bandes dessinéescomic strip n → bande f dessinée, BD f

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

comical

[ˈkɒmɪk/əl] adj → divertente, buffo/a, comico/a

Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

comic

(ˈkomik) adjective

1. of comedy. a comic actor; comic opera.

2. causing amusement. comic remarks.

noun

1. an amusing person, especially a professional comedian.

2. a children's periodical containing funny stories, adventures etc in the form of comic strips.

ˈcomical adjective

funny. It was comical to see the chimpanzee pouring out a cup of tea.

comic strip

a series of small pictures showing stages in an adventure.

Mentioned in

References in classic literature

For forty years Southey lived at Greta Hall, and from his letters we get the pleasantest picture of the home-loving, nonsense- loving "comical papa" who had kept the heart of a boy, even when his hair grew gray--

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Upon my word, you have had good success; for one may say of your beard, that it is tondenti gravior ."--"I conjecture," says Jones, "that thou art a very comical fellow."--"You mistake me widely, sir," said the barber: "I am too much addicted to the study of philosophy; hinc illae lacrymae , sir; that's my misfortune.

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'What a comical brother-in-law old Bounderby is, I think you mean,' said Tom.

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As for angels, it is not comical enough, to put them in anti-masques; and anything that is hideous, as devils, giants, is on the other side as unfit.

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"I should like to wish you success, but your office is such a comical one."

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There sat the thorny Sorcerer in his chair of state, and when the Wizard saw him he began to laugh, uttering comical little chuckles.

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He seemed extremely unhappy; but when she took his arm and walked away with him, seeking a retired corner, a ray of hope mingled with the almost comical misery of his expression.

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But the comical thing about it all, is, that the fig-leaf is confined to cold and pallid marble, which would be still cold and unsuggestive without this sham and ostentatious symbol of modesty, whereas warm-blood paintings which do really need it have in no case been furnished with it.

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"It looks comical to me, child, now--and smells bad.

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In fact, man is a comical creature; there seems to be a kind of jest in it all.

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The second day she began with all the comical names she could hear of, BANDY-LEGS, HUNCHBACK, CROOK-SHANKS, and so on; but the little gentleman still said to every one of them, 'Madam, that is not my name.'

View in context

But at length all the past night's events soberly recurred, one by one, in fixed reality, and then I lay only alive to the comical predicament.

View in context