slapstick
noun
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The idea that knocking people about made for good comedy dates as far back as the Greco-Roman theater, where clowns rambunctiously "attacked" one another onstage. The object from which the word slapstick derives, however, was invented in Italy in the 16th century. Renaissance comedy typically featured stock characters placed in ridiculous situations, and one such ubiquitous character was Harlequin, whose brilliant costuming made him easily recognizable. Harlequin was given to wielding a paddle which was designed to make a terrible noise when he hit someone, usually to the delight of the audience. This paddle was eventually known in English as a "slapstick," and it became a symbol of that type of highly physical comedy. The word slapstick then came to refer to the comedy itself.
Examples of slapstick in a Sentence
Alison Herman, Variety, 31 July 2025
Like the opera, the film blends these disparate moods and tones at a whirlwind tempo: slapstick comedy and poignant melodrama, graceful lyricism and bumptious braggadocio, witty satire and bitter tragedy.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 30 July 2025
But while fans are still laughing at the slapstick chaos and nostalgic callbacks, Justin Thomas had a different kind of reaction -- one that came with a wink and a warning.
—Devlina Sarkar, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 July 2025
With Rip Torn hurling wrenches at people and Christine Taylor rejecting Stiller’s pathetic advances, this slapstick comedy checks every box of the sports-movie formula and does it pretty damn well.
—Tim Grierson, Vulture, 25 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for slapstick
Cite this Entry
“Slapstick.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/slapstick. Accessed 6 Aug. 2025.
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