slapstick

6 synonyms and 2 antonyms for slapstick, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.

Noun — Comedy built on exaggerated physical mishaps — falls, chases, collisions and blows — rather than on words.

Synonyms

Less common

Still standard English, but they carry more weight.

farce

Rare, literary or technical

Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.

physical comedy knockabout buffoonery farcical clownish

Synonyms by Meaning

1. noun

Comedy built on exaggerated physical mishaps — falls, chases, collisions and blows — rather than on words.

“The film relies on pure slapstick: three men, one ladder and a flight of stairs.”

physical comedy farce knockabout buffoonery

Opposites

wordplay satire

2. adjective

Involving or characteristic of such comedy.

“A slapstick chase scene closes the second act.”

knockabout farcical clownish

How to use slapstick

The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.

broad slapstick slapstick comedy descend into slapstick pure slapstick

Neutral, though slightly dismissive when contrasted with wit.

Etymology

From the slap stick, the hinged double board used in commedia dell'arte and pantomime to make a loud slapping noise; the name of the prop transferred to the style of comedy it accompanied.

Full origin of slapstick →

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between slapstick and farce?

Slapstick is a style of performance based on physical knockabout, and can appear in a single scene. Farce is a structure for a whole play or film, built on mistaken identity, escalating misunderstandings and slamming doors — a farce often contains slapstick, but it need not.

Who are the best-known slapstick performers?

The silent era produced the classic names — Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, Harold Lloyd and Laurel and Hardy — and the tradition carried on through the Three Stooges, Jacques Tati, Rowan Atkinson's Mr Bean and much of children's television.

Is calling something slapstick an insult?

It depends on tone. Used descriptively it is neutral, but critics often use it to mean crude and undemanding, so "physical comedy" is the more respectful term when praising skilled work.

People also searched

satire farce knockabout farcical buffoonery wordplay clownish

Nearby words

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