Meanings
nouncomedy (countable and uncountable, plural comedies)
plural comedies · alternative comedie · alternative comœdie · alternative comœdy
- countablehistoricala choric song of celebration or revel, especially in Ancient Greece
- countablea light, amusing play with a happy ending
A Midsummer Night's Dream is among Shakespeare's most famous comedies.
- EuropeMedievalcountablea narrative poem with an agreeable ending (e.g., The Divine Comedy)
- countableuncountablebroadcastingthe genre of such works
- uncountableentertainment composed of jokes, satire, or humorous performance
Why would you be watching comedy when there are kids starving right now?
- countableuncountablethe art of composing comedy
- countablea humorous event
Synonyms & antonyms
Broader
Narrower
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Ancient Greekκῶμος (kômos)
- Proto-Hellenic*awéidō
- Ancient Greekᾰ̓είδω (ăeídō)
- Ancient Greekᾰ̓οιδή (ăoidḗ)
- Ancient Greekᾠδή (ōidḗ)
- Ancient Greekκῶμος (kômos)
- Ancient Greekἀείδω (aeídō)
- Ancient Greekἀοιδός (aoidós)
- Ancient Greekκωμῳδῐ́ᾱ (kōmōidĭ́ā)
- Latincōmoedia
- Middle Frenchcomedie
- Middle Englishcomedie
- Englishcomedy
Inherited from Middle English comedie, borrowed from Middle French comedie, from Latin cōmoedia, borrowed from Ancient Greek κωμῳδῐ́ᾱ (kōmōidĭ́ā), from κῶμος (kômos, “revel, carousing”) + ᾠδή (ōidḗ, “song”), or from κῶμος (kômos, “revel, carousing”) + ἀοιδός (aoidós, “singer, bard”). Doublet of commedia.
More words from Middle English
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Ancient Greek κωμῳδία, κωμῳδία
- κωμῳδία (kōmōidía)a light, amusing play with a happy ending
- κωμῳδία (kōmōidía)dramatic work that is light and humorous or satirical in tone
Arabic فُكَاهَة, كُومِيدِيَا
- فُكَاهَة (fukāha)dramatic work that is light and humorous or satirical in tone
- كُومِيدِيَا (kōmīdiyā)dramatic work that is light and humorous or satirical in tone
- كُومِيدِيَا (kōmēdiyā)dramatic work that is light and humorous or satirical in tone
- كُومِيدِيَا (kōmīdiyā)the genre of such works
- كُومِيدِيَا (kōmēdiyā)the genre of such works
Bulgarian комедия, коме́дия
- комедия (komedija)a light, amusing play with a happy ending
- коме́дия (komédija)dramatic work that is light and humorous or satirical in tone
- коме́дия (komédija)the genre of such works
Catalan comèdia, comèdia
- comèdiaa choric song of celebration or revel
- comèdiadramatic work that is light and humorous or satirical in tone
- comèdiathe genre of such works
Chinese Mandarin 喜劇 /喜剧
- 喜劇 /喜剧 (xǐjù)dramatic work that is light and humorous or satirical in tone
Czech komedie, veselohra
- komediedramatic work that is light and humorous or satirical in tone
- veselohradramatic work that is light and humorous or satirical in tone
Danish komedie
- komediedramatic work that is light and humorous or satirical in tone
Dutch blijspel, komedie
- blijspela light, amusing play with a happy ending
- komediedramatic work that is light and humorous or satirical in tone
- blijspeldramatic work that is light and humorous or satirical in tone
Esperanto komedio
- komediodramatic work that is light and humorous or satirical in tone
Estonian komöödia
- komöödiadramatic work that is light and humorous or satirical in tone
Finnish komedia, komiikka
- komediadramatic work that is light and humorous or satirical in tone
- komiikkathe genre of such works
French comédie, comédie
- comédiea choric song of celebration or revel
- comédiedramatic work that is light and humorous or satirical in tone
German Komödie
- Komödiedramatic work that is light and humorous or satirical in tone
Greek κωμωδία
- κωμωδία (komodía)dramatic work that is light and humorous or satirical in tone
Hebrew קומדיה, קומדיה
- קומדיה (qomedia)a light, amusing play with a happy ending
- קומדיה (qomedia)dramatic work that is light and humorous or satirical in tone
- קומדיה (qomedia)the genre of such works
Hindi सुखांत
- सुखांत (sukhānt)(medieval Europe) a narrative poem with an agreeable ending
Hungarian vígjáték, komédia
- vígjátékdramatic work that is light and humorous or satirical in tone
- komédiadramatic work that is light and humorous or satirical in tone
Icelandic gamanleikrit, kómedía
- gamanleikritdramatic work that is light and humorous or satirical in tone
- kómedíathe genre of such works
- gamanleikurthe genre of such works
Indonesian lawak, humor
- lawakdramatic work that is light and humorous or satirical in tone
- humordramatic work that is light and humorous or satirical in tone
- komedithe genre of such works
Irish coiméide, coiméide
- coiméidea light, amusing play with a happy ending
- coiméidedramatic work that is light and humorous or satirical in tone
- coiméidethe genre of such works
Italian commedia
- commediadramatic work that is light and humorous or satirical in tone
Japanese 喜劇, コメディ
- 喜劇 (kigeki)dramatic work that is light and humorous or satirical in tone
- コメディ (komedi)dramatic work that is light and humorous or satirical in tone
Korean 희극, 코미디
- 희극 (huigeuk)dramatic work that is light and humorous or satirical in tone
- 코미디 (komidi)dramatic work that is light and humorous or satirical in tone
- 코믹 (komik)dramatic work that is light and humorous or satirical in tone
Latin comoedia, cōmoedia
- comoediaa light, amusing play with a happy ending
- cōmoediadramatic work that is light and humorous or satirical in tone
Latvian komēdija, komēdija
- komēdijaa choric song of celebration or revel
- komēdijadramatic work that is light and humorous or satirical in tone
Lithuanian komedija, juokažaislė
- komedijadramatic work that is light and humorous or satirical in tone
- juokažaislėdramatic work that is light and humorous or satirical in tone
Norwegian Bokmål komedie
- komediedramatic work that is light and humorous or satirical in tone
Persian کمدی, کمدی
- کمدی (komedi)dramatic work that is light and humorous or satirical in tone
- کمدی (komedi)the genre of such works
Polish komedia, komedia
- komediaa choric song of celebration or revel
- komediaa light, amusing play with a happy ending
- komedia(medieval Europe) a narrative poem with an agreeable ending
- komediadramatic work that is light and humorous or satirical in tone
Portuguese comédia, comédia
- comédiaa choric song of celebration or revel
- comédiaa light, amusing play with a happy ending
- comédia(medieval Europe) a narrative poem with an agreeable ending
- comédiadramatic work that is light and humorous or satirical in tone
- comédiathe genre of such works
Romanian comedie, comedie
- comediea choric song of celebration or revel
- comediedramatic work that is light and humorous or satirical in tone
Russian коме́дия, коме́дия
- коме́дия (komédija)a choric song of celebration or revel
- коме́дия (komédija)a light, amusing play with a happy ending
- коме́дия (komédija)(medieval Europe) a narrative poem with an agreeable ending
- коме́дия (komédija)dramatic work that is light and humorous or satirical in tone
- коме́дия (komédija)the genre of such works
Spanish comedia, comedia
- comediadramatic work that is light and humorous or satirical in tone
- comediathe genre of such works
Swedish komedi
- komedidramatic work that is light and humorous or satirical in tone
Tagalog katawanan
- katawanandramatic work that is light and humorous or satirical in tone
Tamil காமெடி, காமெடி
- காமெடி (kāmeṭi)a light, amusing play with a happy ending
- காமெடி (kāmeṭi)dramatic work that is light and humorous or satirical in tone
- காமெடி (kāmeṭi)the genre of such works
Turkish komedi
- komedidramatic work that is light and humorous or satirical in tone
Ukrainian коме́дія, коме́дія
- коме́дія (komédija)a light, amusing play with a happy ending
- коме́дія (komédija)dramatic work that is light and humorous or satirical in tone
Vietnamese hài kịch
- hài kịchdramatic work that is light and humorous or satirical in tone
Welsh comedi, comedi
- comedia light, amusing play with a happy ending
- comedi(medieval Europe) a narrative poem with an agreeable ending
- comedidramatic work that is light and humorous or satirical in tone
- comedithe genre of such works
Yiddish קאָמעדיע
- קאָמעדיע (komedye)dramatic work that is light and humorous or satirical in tone
Rhymes & wordplay
Sounds the same
comity (t-flapping)
Cite this entry
APA
comedy. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/comedy
MLA
“comedy.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/comedy. Accessed November 2, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “comedy,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/comedy.
Source: comedy on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.