straight man

NOUN

comedian who sets up joke

Synonyms

STRONGEST

sidekick

WEAK

banana feed feeder foil second banana stooge straight person

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.

With Ginsberg, Glass acted as the straight man.

From Los Angeles Times • May 21, 2026

“Yeah, but that doesn’t make sense in this case,” Meyers said, playing the straight man.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 1, 2025

I put the look on and I was like, "Yes, it's very nice for a straight man, this is the look we should go for."

From Salon • Mar. 13, 2025

But he has grown into his role at “Saturday Night Live,” proving to be an especially strong straight man adept at the comedy of embarrassment.

From New York Times • Apr. 28, 2024

So Peewitbrae built two parallel dykes two feet apart and two feet high, between which he could walk home like a straight man.

From Sentimental Tommy The Story of His Boyhood by Barrie, J. M. (James Matthew)