Meaning of agelast | Babel Free

Definitions

One who never laughs (especially at jokes); a mirthless person.

rare

Equivalents

Examples

“As a real agelast in a comedy, he is beaten. The beating of an agelast is the most important point⟳ of the comedy.”

“Declaring with Doumergue that "Rabelais and Calvin (and Olivétan) were the creators of French literary prose,"²⁵ Bakhtin adds "Even the agelast Calvin wrote a pamphlet about relics with a certain comic overtone."²⁶ The single, and unusual word "agelast" summarizes the popular view⟳ of John Calvin: a person who does not laugh⟳ or smile⟳; someone who cannot enjoy⟳ life or the fact that others might be happy.”

“For Kundera, agelasts represent⟳ the opposite of the spirit of the novel; the novel is born from the sense⟳ of humor and not from theoretical thinking.”

“Agelasts have⟳ a very clear idea that they have⟳ patent regarding both the truth and the mission and are so bloody solemn that they just cannot accept⟳ other views.”

CEFR level