gallows humour: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C1Informal, Literary, Journalistic
Quick answer
What does “gallows humour” mean?
A type of humour that finds something funny in a very bad, hopeless, or frightening situation, often when facing death or disaster.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A type of humour that finds something funny in a very bad, hopeless, or frightening situation, often when facing death or disaster.
A psychological coping mechanism that uses humour to deal with extreme stress, trauma, or impending doom. It is characterized by a dark, cynical, or morbid perspective on a dire circumstance.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
The spelling is 'gallows humour' in UK English and 'gallows humor' in US English. The concept and usage are identical.
Connotations
Identical in both varieties. Often associated with British stoicism or wartime spirit in the UK context.
Frequency
Slightly more frequent in UK English, but common in both varieties. The term is well-established and understood.
Grammar
How to Use “gallows humour” in a Sentence
The [group] displayed [adjective] gallows humour.It was a classic case of gallows humour.[Person] is known for his/her gallows humour.Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “gallows humour” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The condemned men were gallows-humouring their way to the scaffold.
- He tends to gallows-humour when things get desperate.
American English
- The team gallows-humored their way through the final, doomed project meeting.
- She's gallows-humoring about her student loans.
adverb
British English
- He said, rather gallows-humourly, that the fire exit was also on fire.
- They laughed gallows-humourly at their predicament.
American English
- 'At least the hospital food is bad,' he commented gallows-humorly.
- She smiled gallows-humorly at the latest bad news.
adjective
British English
- His gallows-humour remarks did little to lighten the mood in the bunker.
- A gallows-humour take on the climate crisis.
American English
- She has a gallows-humor outlook on the election.
- The play's gallows-humor tone was unsettling.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Rare. Might be used metaphorically to describe a team's attitude during a major company crisis or impending layoffs.
Academic
Used in psychology, sociology, and literary studies to analyse coping mechanisms or narrative tone.
Everyday
Used to describe someone's attitude in a personal crisis, e.g., a serious illness, job loss, or a natural disaster.
Technical
Not a technical term outside of the humanities.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “gallows humour”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “gallows humour”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “gallows humour”
- Using it to describe any dark or offensive joke. The key is the subject's own proximity to the danger.
- Misspelling as 'gallows humor' in UK contexts or 'gallows humour' in US contexts where the local spelling isn't respected.
- Confusing it with 'sarcasm', which is more about mocking others.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Not necessarily. While it can appear insensitive to an outsider, it typically originates from and is shared by those directly affected by the tragedy as a way to cope, not to mock others.
Psychologists suggest it can be a healthy coping mechanism in the short term, helping to reduce anxiety and build camaraderie. However, if used excessively to avoid dealing with emotions, it can become maladaptive.
Gallows humour is a broader category of finding comedy in misfortune, often one's own. Sarcasm is a specific, often sharp or cutting, form of verbal irony typically used to mock or convey contempt, which can sometimes be a tool of gallows humour.
The term is quite literal, dating back to the gallows (the structure for hanging). It refers to the jokes or composed witticisms reportedly made by condemned prisoners on their way to execution, a historical trope in literature and folklore.
A type of humour that finds something funny in a very bad, hopeless, or frightening situation, often when facing death or disaster.
Gallows humour is usually informal, literary, journalistic in register.
Gallows humour: in British English it is pronounced /ˈɡæləʊz ˌhjuːmə/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈɡæloʊz ˌhjumər/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “To laugh in the face of death/adversity (related concept)”
- “Whistling past the graveyard (similar attitude)”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a prisoner on the gallows (a structure for execution) telling a joke about the rope. The humour comes from the very situation that is about to kill him.
Conceptual Metaphor
HUMOUR IS A SHIELD AGAINST DISASTER. LAUGHTER IS DEFIANCE. HOPELESSNESS IS A SPECTATOR SPORT.
Practice
Quiz
In which of the following situations is 'gallows humour' MOST likely to be observed?