Meaning & use
comedian
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Meanings
nouncountable
A person whose job is to make people laugh, especially by telling jokes on stage or on screen.
Grammar: Countable: use a/an or the, and the plural comedians.
Patterns
- a stand-up comedian
- a comedian performs
- become a comedian
The comedian told jokes about airports for twenty minutes.
She became a comedian after years of writing for other performers.
A famous comedian hosted the award ceremony last night.
nouncountable
An actor who plays funny characters in films, TV shows, or plays.
Grammar: Countable and often used with a name or role: the comedian in that film.
Patterns
- a comedy comedian
- a comedian in a film
- a talented comedian
The film stars a well-known comedian as a clumsy detective.
As a comedian, he is better at serious roles than people expect.
The comedian's timing made even a simple line funny.
Word forms
| plural | comedians |
|---|
Common combinations
- stand-up comedian
- He works as a stand-up comedian in small clubs.
- famous comedian
- A famous comedian walked past us in the street.
- comedy comedian
- She is a comedy comedian who also writes her own material.
- aspiring comedian
- The aspiring comedian practices his routine every evening.
Synonyms and how they differ
- comic
- Comic is often used for a professional funny performer, but it can also mean a funny person in general or a magazine.
- humorist
- Humorist suggests a writer or speaker who creates humor, often in essays or books, rather than a stage performer.
- joker
- Joker means someone who likes making jokes informally, not usually a professional.
Word family
- comedy noun
- A type of entertainment that makes people laugh.
- comedic adjective
- Relating to comedy or intended to be funny.
- comedically adverb
- In a funny way or in relation to comedy.
- comedienne noun
- An old-fashioned word for a female comedian.
Commonly confused: comedian or comedienne? comedian or comic?
comedian vs comedienne
Comedienne is an old-fashioned term for a female comedian; comedian is now the standard word for any gender.
comedian vs comic
Comic can mean a comedian, but it also means a magazine of funny drawings or an adjective meaning funny.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'comedian' correctly?
Choose one answer.
Comedian is a person, so 'his jokes' fits. 'Comedies' are shows, not things a person tells; 'comedian' would repeat the person; 'comedic' is an adjective and cannot be possessed like that.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “comedian”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.