comic
A magazine or book that tells a story through a series of pictures and drawings. It usually includes speech bubbles or short text to explain what the characters are saying or doing.
Examples
3 of 5I bought a new comic at the bookstore today.
I purchased a new illustrated storybook at the shop today.
The institution maintains an archive of every historical comic published.
The organization keeps a collection of every historical illustrated book printed.
Check out this cool comic I found!
Look at this great illustrated book I discovered!
Synonyms
Word Family
Memory Tip
Think of COMIC as 'COlored Pictures, Many Interesting Characters'.
Quick Quiz
Spider-Man is my favorite character in this ____.
Correct!
The correct answer is: comic
Examples
I bought a new comic at the bookstore today.
everydayI purchased a new illustrated storybook at the shop today.
The institution maintains an archive of every historical comic published.
formalThe organization keeps a collection of every historical illustrated book printed.
Check out this cool comic I found!
informalLook at this great illustrated book I discovered!
The professor analyzed the narrative structure of the classic comic.
academicThe teacher studied the story layout of the traditional illustrated book.
We are launching a promotional comic to explain our services.
businessWe are starting an advertising illustrated book to describe our work.
Synonyms
Word Family
Common Collocations
Common Phrases
comic relief
a funny part that makes a serious story feel lighter
stand-up comic
a person who tells jokes on a stage
comic timing
the ability to say something funny at exactly the right moment
Often Confused With
A 'comic' can be a book or a person, but 'comedian' only refers to the person telling jokes.
A 'comedy' is a genre of funny entertainment, while a 'comic' is the physical book with pictures.
Usage Notes
At the A1 level, 'comic' is most commonly used to mean 'comic book'. It can also refer to a person who tells jokes, but that is less frequent in beginner vocabulary.
Common Mistakes
Learners often say 'I read a comedy' when they actually mean 'I read a comic book'.
Memory Tip
Think of COMIC as 'COlored Pictures, Many Interesting Characters'.
Word Origin
Derived from the Greek word 'komikos', which relates to comedy and making people laugh.
Grammar Patterns
Cultural Context
Comics are a major part of global pop culture, especially in the US (superheroes) and Japan (manga).
Quick Quiz
Spider-Man is my favorite character in this ____.
Correct!
The correct answer is: comic
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