滑稽(こっけい)

こっけい
na-adjective
funny; comical; ridiculous
evaluationdescriptive
1. funny; comical; amusing
causing laughter through humor or absurdity
彼(かれ)の動(うご)きが滑稽(こっけい)で笑(わら)ってしまった。
His movements were so funny that I couldn't help laughing.
滑稽(こっけい)な話(はなし)を聞(き)かせてくれた。
He told me a funny story.
自分(じぶん)の失敗(しっぱい)を滑稽(こっけい)に話(はな)した。
I talked about my failure in a humorous way.
滑稽(こっけい)な顔(かお)をして見(み)せた。
He made a funny face.
2. ridiculous; absurd
so unreasonable or inappropriate as to be laughable
そんな言(い)い訳(わけ)は滑稽(こっけい)だ。
That excuse is ridiculous.
必死(ひっし)になっている姿(すがた)が逆(ぎゃく)に滑稽(こっけい)に見(み)えた。
The way he was desperately trying actually looked ridiculous.
真剣(しんけん)に怒(おこ)っているのに、周(まわ)りから見(み)ると滑稽(こっけい)だった。
He was seriously angry, but from the outside it looked ridiculous.

滑稽(こっけい) describes something that causes laughter, either through humor or absurdity.

Etymology

  • Originally from classical Chinese referring to jesters and entertainers
  • In classical Japanese, used for comic storytelling
  • 滑稽(こっけい)本(ぼん) refers to comic novels from the Edo period
  • Example: 東海道中膝栗毛(とうかいどうちゅうひざくりげ)

Forms

  • Attributive: 滑稽(こっけい)な + noun
  • Predicate: 滑稽(こっけい)だ/である
  • Adverbial: 滑稽(こっけい)に

Sense 1 vs sense 2

  • Sense 1: Positive - intentionally funny, entertaining
  • Sense 2: Negative - unintentionally absurd, worthy of derision

Common collocations

Similar words

Register: Neutral to slightly formal. Literary flavor.

Related Words

Compare: おかしい (funny)
Compare: ばかばかしい (ridiculous)
Compare: 面白(おもしろ)い (interesting/funny)
Compare: 珍妙(ちんみょう) (odd)
Compare: ユーモラス (humorous)
general
Added 2026.1.22 14:13 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:01
07500/07914_kokkei