parody
Americannoun
-
parodies
plural
-
a humorous or satirical imitation of a serious piece of literature or writing.
his hilarious parody of Hamlet's soliloquy.
-
the genre of literary composition represented by such imitations.
-
a burlesque imitation of a musical composition.
-
any humorous, satirical, or burlesque imitation, as of a person, event, etc.
-
the use in the 16th century of borrowed material in a musical setting of the Mass parody Mass.
-
a poor or feeble imitation or semblance; travesty.
His acting is a parody of his past greatness.
verb (used with object)
-
parodies,
present (3rd person singular)
-
parodied,
past participle, past
-
parodying
present participle
-
to imitate (a composition, author, etc.) for purposes of ridicule or satire.
-
to imitate poorly or feebly; travesty.
noun
-
a musical, literary, or other composition that mimics the style of another composer, author, etc, in a humorous or satirical way
-
mimicry of someone's individual manner in a humorous or satirical way
-
something so badly done as to seem an intentional mockery; travesty
verb
Synonym Usage
See burlesque.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
parodysimple
-
parodiessimple
-
have parodiedperfect
-
has parodiedperfect
-
am parodyingprogressive
-
are parodyingprogressive
-
is parodyingprogressive
-
have been parodyingperfect progressive
-
has been parodyingperfect progressive
Past
-
parodiedsimple
-
had parodiedperfect
-
was parodyingprogressive
-
were parodyingprogressive
-
had been parodyingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of parody
First recorded in 1590–1600; from Latin parōdia, from Greek parōidía “burlesque song or poem”; equivalent to par- + ode + -y 3
Explanation
A parody is a humorous or mocking imitation of something, using the same form as the original. To parody a poem, you have to write another poem. A parody is a form of humor that spoofs — or satirizes — something using the same form. For example, shows like "Saturday Night Live" and "The Daily Show" parody newscasts by doing fake newscasts that look like the real thing. Comedians and comedy writers love to parody the President. Anything in the public eye could be the object of a parody.
Vocabulary lists containing parody
Literary Devices & Figures of Speech - Introductory
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Poetry: Literary Devices
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Rhetoric
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
See Examples For:
That has left the door open to Count Binface, and a host of other independent and parody candidates.
From Barron's ● Aug. 12, 2026
“The Shards” is more problematic: Mr. Ellis has been recycling his depraved teen angels long enough that the show, a collaboration with Ryan Murphy, becomes parody, even comedy.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 5, 2026
Broadway has settled into parody mode after suffering some mega collapses.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 15, 2026
A behind-the scenes perspective on the Onion’s gloriously unhinged parody: If you could use a laugh, the absurd comedy on offer at the new Infowars might do the trick.
From Slate ● Jul. 13, 2026
For a moment or two the forest and all the other dimly appreciated places echoed with the parody of laughter.
From "Lord of the Flies" by William Golding
It is curious that Mr. Nichols never mentions Melville’s 1857 novel, “The Confidence-Man,” with its pointed parodies of Emerson as the chilly philosopher Mark Winsome, and of Thoreau as Egbert, a tiresome pseudomoralist.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026
Yes, it’s whimsical, and yes, it references Mike Davis’ “City of Quartz” more than any of the TMZ-type excursions it gently parodies, but it’s still, at its heart, a bus tour.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 22, 2026
The “Fruit Love Island” fandom has grown into spinoffs, recap videos, fan accounts and a host of parodies, many of which are also AI-generated.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 27, 2026
While others understood that the song and performance were quintessential Robyn, others lazily lumped it in with phoned-in dance songs from Idina Menzel and “SNL” parodies.
From Salon ● Jan. 10, 2026
We sing these, and other parodies of popular songs, all of which we think are very witty.
From "Cat's Eye" by Margaret Atwood
Throughout the last four decades, Culture Clash has parodied nearly every prominent Latino figure in history, including Che Guevara, Frida Kahlo, Ritchie Valens, Rita Moreno, Edward James Olmos and others.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 24, 2026
The sandwich has even been seemingly parodied in “The Simpsons.”
From MarketWatch ● Apr. 29, 2026
“Satuday Night Live” has since parodied Clavicular in a “Weekend Update” sketch, and the streamer also made his runway debut in February at New York Fashion Week.
From Salon ● Apr. 6, 2026
The operations have been parodied on “South Park” and “Saturday Night Live,” among other shows and movies.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 5, 2026
It’s the most parodied painting in history, but every parody just draws more attention to the original.
From "The Mona Lisa Vanishes" by Nicholas Day
Others came up with captions including "Don't Look Up," a reference to the 2021 film starring Leonardo Di Caprio parodying societal apathy to the climate crisis.
From Barron's ● Jul. 29, 2026
At one point, Schwam and Gunther compare Byrd’s show to a “Saturday Night Live” sketch parodying it, in which Cheri Oteri plays Byrd.
From Salon ● Jul. 10, 2026
Other options include Billy Joel, a mainstay in his rotation and the artist he has grown famous for parodying, or someone with ties to Las Vegas, like Elvis Pressley or Elton John.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 19, 2025
The video then cut to a clip of Lizzo parodying the American Eagle ad, with the caption: "Lizzo's got good jeans."
From BBC ● Oct. 22, 2025
If smart people are parodying it, that’s a sure sign that some less smart people are believing it.
From "Every Day" by David Levithan
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
