COMEDIAN

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does comedian mean? 

• COMEDIAN (noun)
  The noun COMEDIAN has 2 senses:

1. a professional performer who tells jokes and performs comical acts

2. an actor in a comedy

  Familiarity information: COMEDIAN used as a noun is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• COMEDIAN (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A professional performer who tells jokes and performs comical acts

Classified under:

Nouns denoting people

Synonyms:

comedian; comic

Hypernyms ("comedian" is a kind of...):

performer; performing artist (an entertainer who performs a dramatic or musical work for an audience)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "comedian"):

comedienne (a female comedian)

gagman; standup comedian (a comedian who uses gags)

joker; jokester (a person who enjoys telling or playing jokes)

top banana (the leading comedian in a burlesque show)

buffoon; clown; goof; goofball; merry andrew (a person who amuses others by ridiculous behavior)

Instance hyponyms:

Alfred Hawthorne; Benny Hill; Hill (risque English comedian (1925-1992))

Dudley Moore; Dudley Stuart John Moore; Moore (English actor and comedian who appeared on television and in films (born in 1935))

Herbert Marx; Marx; Zeppo (United States comedian; one of four brothers who made motion pictures together (1901-1979))

Arthur Marx; Harpo; Marx (United States comedian; one of four brothers who made motion pictures together (1893-1964))

Chico; Leonard Marx; Marx (United States comedian; one of four brothers who made motion pictures together (1891-1961))

Groucho; Julius Marx; Marx (United States comedian; one of four brothers who made motion pictures together (1890-1977))

Martin; Steve Martin (United States actor and comedian (born in 1945))

Arthur Stanley Jefferson Laurel; Laurel; Stan Laurel (United States slapstick comedian (born in England) who played the scatterbrained and often tearful member of the Laurel and Hardy duo who made many films (1890-1965))

Harry Lauder; Lauder; Sir Harry MacLennan Lauder (Scottish ballad singer and music hall comedian (1870-1950))

Buster Keaton; Joseph Francis Keaton; Keaton (United States comedian and actor in silent films noted for his acrobatic skills and deadpan face (1895-1966))

Bob Hope; Hope; Leslie Townes Hope (United States comedian (born in England) who appeared in films with Bing Crosby (1903-2003))

Hardy; Oliver Hardy (United States slapstick comedian who played the pompous and overbearing member of the Laurel and Hardy duo who made many films (1892-1957))

Fields; W. C. Fields; William Claude Dukenfield (United States comedian and film actor (1880-1946))

Durante; Jimmy Durante (United States comedian remembered for his large nose and hoarse voice (1893-1980))

Chaplin; Charlie Chaplin; Sir Charles Spencer Chaplin (English comedian and film maker; portrayed a downtrodden little man in baggy pants and bowler hat (1889-1977))

Caesar; Sid Caesar; Sidney Caesar (United States comedian who pioneered comedy television shows (born 1922))

Burns; George Burns; Nathan Birnbaum (United States comedian and film actor (1896-1996))

Benjamin Kubelsky; Benny; Jack Benny (United States comedian known for his timeing and delivery and self-effacing humor (1894-1974))

Sense 2

Meaning:

An actor in a comedy

Classified under:

Nouns denoting people

Hypernyms ("comedian" is a kind of...):

actor; histrion; player; role player; thespian (a theatrical performer)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "comedian"):

comedienne (a female actor in a comedy)