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

It’s the closest O’Hara gets to playing the straight man, if a straight man was a mother on the verge of a nervous breakdown.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 30, 2026

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

Jadeja is a nice contrast - steady, quick, chipping away, the straight man to Ashwin's varied expressions.

From BBC • Feb. 19, 2024

He’s a straight man, is Cetywayo, and well-disposed towards Englishmen, though we have been badgering him more than enough of late.

From The Luck of Gerard Ridgeley by Mitford, Bertram