burlesque

American  

[ber-lesk] / bərˈlɛsk /

noun

1. an artistic composition, especially literary or dramatic, that, for the sake of laughter, vulgarizes lofty material or treats ordinary material with mock dignity.

   Synonyms:

   farce, lampoon, satire

2. any ludicrous parody or grotesque caricature.

3. Also burlesk a humorous and provocative stage show featuring slapstick humor, comic skits, bawdy songs, striptease acts, and a scantily clad female chorus.

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adjective

1. involving ludicrous or mocking treatment of a solemn subject.

2. of, relating to, or like stage-show burlesque.

verb (used with object)

burlesqued, burlesquing

1. to make ridiculous by mocking representation.

verb (used without object)

burlesqued, burlesquing

1. to use caricature.

burlesque British  

/ bɜːˈlɛsk /

noun

1. an artistic work, esp literary or dramatic, satirizing a subject by caricaturing it

2. a ludicrous imitation or caricature

3. a play of the 17th–19th centuries that parodied some contemporary dramatic fashion or event

4. Also: burlesk.  Slang name: burleycue.  theatre a bawdy comedy show of the late 19th and early 20th centuries: the striptease eventually became one of its chief elements

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adjective

1. of, relating to, or characteristic of a burlesque

verb

1. to represent or imitate (a person or thing) in a ludicrous way; caricature

Related Words

Burlesque, caricature, parody, travesty refer to the literary or dramatic forms that imitate serious works or subjects to achieve a humorous or satiric purpose. The characteristic device of burlesque is mockery of both high and low through association with their opposites: a burlesque of high and low life. Caricature, usually associated with visual arts or with visual effects in literary works, implies exaggeration of characteristic details: The caricature emphasized his nose. Parody achieves its humor through application of the manner or technique, usually of a well-known writer, to unaccustomed subjects: a parody by Swift. Travesty implies a grotesque form of burlesque: characters so changed as to produce a travesty.

Other Word Forms

• burlesquely adverb
• burlesquer noun
• preburlesque adjective
• unburlesqued adjective

Etymology

Origin of burlesque

1650–60; < French < Italian burlesco, equivalent to burl ( a ) jest (perhaps < Spanish; burladero ) + -esco -esque

Example Sentences

The queens cut their teeth performing in bars, burlesque theaters, punk venues and even a circus, where they learned to entertain by pulling together subversive and mainstream references.

From Los Angeles Times

He had recruited her for “Zero Hour,” he explained, because he thought her “gin-fog” voice would help create a “complete burlesque” of a propaganda show.

From Los Angeles Times

At last, the narrative style breaks out of burlesque into something worthy of a celebrated contemporary author.

From The Wall Street Journal

Along the way, we get some classics, like the image of a burlesque dancer "glowing like the end of a cigarette"; or comparing a critic's barbs to "a toy chihuahua barking from a tiny purse".

From BBC

There’s another old aphorism about wealth, credited to the burlesque star and actress, Sophie Tucker.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• farce
• spoof
• travesty