gallows humor

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.

Schrader, who turns 80 in July, spoke about the coming upheaval with a mixture of fascination, resignation and dry gallows humor.

From Los Angeles Times • May 28, 2026

Many China hawks in the administration have taken to gallows humor, calling the shift the ‘Busan Freeze,’ named for the South Korea meeting between the leaders that produced a fragile trade detente.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 10, 2026

“I meant it as a bit of gallows humor, but he answered by essentially saying, Actually, sort of,” Gluck, a journalist, writes in his forthcoming memoir, An Exercise in Uncertainty.

From Slate • May 2, 2025

“We are facing an impossible situation, and that’s exactly what gallows humor was designed to handle,” he said.

From New York Times • Feb. 9, 2024

There was a good deal of gallows humor among us.

From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela