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gallows humor

NOUN
humor derived from serious matters
Synonyms


Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

Many China hawks in the administration have taken to gallows humor, calling the shift the ‘Busan Freeze,’ named for the South Korea meeting between the leaders that produced a fragile trade detente.

From The Wall Street Journal Apr. 10, 2026

Newsrooms being breeding grounds for gallows humor, most also understand that futility is a terrific comedy catalyst.

From Salon Sep. 4, 2025

“I meant it as a bit of gallows humor, but he answered by essentially saying, Actually, sort of,” Gluck, a journalist, writes in his forthcoming memoir, An Exercise in Uncertainty.

From Slate May 2, 2025

Streetwise and informed by Price’s trademark dialogue and gallows humor, it’s a tale of individual redemption and an exploration of the precarity of American life.

From Los Angeles Times Sep. 3, 2024

I noted as another example of gallows humor that Billie had put out black guest towels and a washcloth for me.

From "Black Like Me" by John Howard Griffin



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