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 Pussycat Dolls were founded by Antin in 1995 as an all-female burlesque dance troupe.

From BBC • Mar. 12, 2026

The Tortora affair, already a media zoo, becomes a jurisprudential burlesque.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 19, 2026

It’s debatable whether he’s doing a burlesque of Susan Collins or is simply out of his depth.

From Los Angeles Times • May 1, 2025

Newport Theater — If you love a good show before dinner or are a connoisseur of burlesque, you absolutely must check out the Newport Theater.

From Salon • Jul. 22, 2024

Gussies comment about burlesque was a snide allusion to Cyril’s hand-painted tie.

From "Woe Is I" by Patricia T. O'Conner

Related Words

• farce
• spoof
• travesty