Comedic Techniques

noun the genre of such works

• The comedy show featured a talented cast of actors who delivered witty and humorous performances.
• I love watching comedy movies with my friends because they always make us laugh.
• That stand-up comedian is a riot, his comedy routine had us in stitches the whole time.
• Life is like a comedy, you never know what unexpected twists and turns will make you laugh along the way.

noun a word that functions as the name of a specific object or set of objects, such as 'remark'

adjective a word that describes or gives more information about a noun, such as 'cutting'

• She was taken aback by his cutting remark during the meeting.
• His cutting remark really hurt her feelings.
• That was a savage cutting remark he made.
• His cutting remark was like a sharp knife through the heart.

noun a delayed reaction to a surprising or remarkable situation, in which one looks again in order to understand what one has seen

verb to look twice at something in surprise or disbelief

• She did a double take when she saw the price of the designer handbag.
• I had to do a double take when I saw his new haircut.
• I did a double take when I saw her outfit, it was fire!
• The plot twist in the movie made me do a double take.

noun a comic dramatic work using buffoonery and horseplay and typically including crude characterization and ludicrously improbable situations

• The play was criticized for its lack of depth and reliance on farce for humor.
• The movie turned out to be a complete farce, nothing like the trailer promised.
• The whole situation was a total farce, I couldn't believe what was happening.
• Her apology seemed like a farce, as if she didn't really mean it at all.

noun the state of being incongruous or out of place; lack of harmony or compatibility

adjective incongruous

• The incongruity between the data presented and the conclusions drawn raised doubts about the validity of the study.
• There was a lot of incongruity in their stories, making it hard to know what really happened.
• The incongruity of her outfit was off the charts - she was wearing a formal gown with sneakers!
• The incongruity between her sunny disposition and the storm clouds overhead was a metaphor for her inner turmoil.

verb to make rude and mocking remarks or sounds in order to show contempt or ridicule

adjective characterized by rude and mocking remarks or sounds

• The crowd's jeering only added to the tense atmosphere of the courtroom.
• Stop jeering at me, it's not funny.
• The kids were jeering each other during the game.
• Her inner critic was constantly jeering at her, making her doubt herself.

noun a humorous misuse of a word by confusing it with a similar-sounding word

• The speaker's use of malapropisms during the presentation detracted from the professionalism of the event.
• She always makes me laugh with her unintentional malapropisms when she's telling a story.
• I can't believe he used that malapropism in his text message, it was so funny!
• His constant malapropisms in conversation made it hard to take him seriously.

adjective not appropriate or fitting; inappropriate

adverb in an inappropriate or unsuitable manner

• His comment was completely malapropos during the meeting.
• She always says things malapropos without realizing it.
• That was so malapropos, dude.
• The timing of his joke was malapropos, as it offended many people.

verb making fun of someone or something in a cruel way

adjective characterized by ridicule or imitation

• The teacher reprimanded the student for mocking his classmates during the presentation.
• Stop mocking me, it's not funny!
• She's always mocking people behind their backs.
• The dark clouds looming overhead seemed to be mocking the impending storm.

noun the use of humor, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule to expose and criticize people's vices or foolishness

• The novel is a brilliant piece of satire that critiques societal norms.
• I love watching satire shows that poke fun at current events.
• That meme is pure satire, it's hilarious!
• His painting is a clever satire on consumer culture.

adjective resembling or characteristic of a cartoon, especially in being unrealistically simplified or exaggerated

• The artist's use of bold lines and exaggerated features gave the painting a cartoonish quality.
• The character in the movie looked so cartoonish, it was hilarious!
• I love how the video game has a cartoonish vibe to it.
• The politician's promises seemed so cartoonish, like something out of a comic book.

noun a sudden or unexpected change or reversal, especially one that is intended to deceive or trick

• The magician performed a switcheroo with the cards, leaving the audience in awe.
• I pulled a switcheroo on my friends by pretending to leave and then surprising them at the party.
• Let's do a switcheroo and swap our lunch items today.
• She thought she had the upper hand in the negotiation, but he pulled a switcheroo and came out on top.

noun the quality or state of being absurd; ridiculousness

• The absurdness of the situation was evident to all who witnessed it.
• The absurdness of his outfit made everyone laugh.
• I can't believe the absurdness of that decision!
• The absurdness of her excuses was like a clown juggling excuses in front of a skeptical audience.