broad comedy characterized by boisterous action, as the throwing of pies in actors' faces, mugging, and obvious farcical situations and jokes.
a stick or lath used by harlequins, clowns, etc., as in pantomime, for striking other performers, especially a combination of laths that make a loud, clapping noise without hurting the person struck.
adjective
using, or marked by the use of, broad farce and horseplay: a slapstick motion picture.
Origin of slapstick
An Americanism dating back to 1895–1900; slap1 + stick1
Words nearby slapstick
slap on the wrist, SLAPP, slapped-cheek disease, slapper, slap shot, slapstick, slap-up, slart, slash, slash-and-burn, Slashdot effect
Asian slapstick humor does not translate well, and most of the captive audience agreed, although they grudgingly watched it.
Prisoners Get Cultural Fix with 8-Tracks and Bootleg Cassettes|Daniel Genis|August 18, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Mr. Mayall, who was married with three children, was famed for his slapstick routines.
British Comedian Rik Mayall, 56, Dies Suddenly|Tom Sykes|June 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
A botched center-right leadership election on Nov. 18 verged on slapstick.
France’s Petty Politics Brings Christmas Early to Scandal Lovers|Tracy McNicoll|December 15, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Like any form of slapstick, its greatest burden is its obviousness.
Obama Loses His Cool|Stanley Crouch|June 9, 2010|DAILY BEAST
Correction: This article initially misidentified Slap Shot as Slapstick.
Hockey Hunks Conquer Hollywood!|Peter Lauria|June 1, 2010|DAILY BEAST
Don Marquis recognizes as well as any one the value of the slapstick as a mirth-provoking instrument.
Shandygaff|Christopher Morley
Sloppy sentimentality and slapstick farce ought to bore us frightfully, especially if we have any sense of humor.
The Best Short Stories of 1920|Various
It frequently happens that a comedian will get after a writer with a stuffed club or a slapstick.
The Fiction Factory|John Milton Edwards
He is the comedian most often proclaimed an artist by the fastidious, and most often forgiven for his slapstick.
The Art Of The Moving Picture|Vachel Lindsay
There was a moment when the slapstick comedy grazed red tragedy.
The Fighting Edge|William MacLeod Raine
British Dictionary definitions for slapstick
slapstick
/ (ˈslæpˌstɪk) /
noun
comedy characterized by horseplay and physical action
(as modifier)slapstick humour
a flexible pair of paddles bound together at one end, formerly used in pantomime to strike a blow to a person with a loud clapping sound but without injury