farce

[ fahrs ]

noun

1. a light, humorous play in which the plot depends upon a skillfully exploited situation rather than upon the development of character.
2. humor of the type displayed in such works.
3. foolish show; mockery; a ridiculous sham.

   Synonyms: travesty, burlesque

4. Cooking. forcemeat.

verb (used with object)

, farced, farc·ing.

1. to season (a speech or composition), especially with witty material.
2. Obsolete. to stuff; cram.

farce

/ fɑːs /

noun

1. a broadly humorous play based on the exploitation of improbable situations
2. the genre of comedy represented by works of this kind
3. a ludicrous situation or action
4. See forcemeat
   Alsofarcemeat another name for forcemeat

verb

1. to enliven (a speech, etc) with jokes
2. to stuff (meat, fowl, etc) with forcemeat

Other Words From

• un·farced adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of farce¹

First recorded in 1300–50; (for the noun) Middle English fars “stuffing,” from Middle French farce, from Vulgar Latin farsa (unrecorded), noun use of feminine of Latin farsus, earlier fartus “stuffed,” past participle of farcīre “to stuff”; (for the verb) Middle English farsen, from Old French farcir, from Latin farcīre

Word History and Origins

Origin of farce¹

C14 (in the sense: stuffing): from Old French, from Latin farcīre to stuff, interpolate passages (in the mass, in religious plays, etc)

Example Sentences

She’s since taken a diplomatic approach to this absolute farce, apologizing to her fans and sponsors, explaining her side to reporters, and doing everything she can to make sure she will get to race again.

From The Daily Beast

“It’s a clown-car farce,” says Terry Goddard, a former Democratic attorney general of Arizona.

From Washington Post

Calling it a “philanthropic investment” is a farce — the donor gets every penny back.

From Washington Post

If Another Round had been presented as a farce, a trifle, it might, paradoxically enough, carry more weight.

From Time

Coward, one of the slyest wits of his century, took the idea of pining for a loved one, drained it of all potential sentimentality, and fashioned it into a lively, sophisticated farce.

From Time

The idea that the whole spectacle was merely an extended judicial farce is simply false.

From The Daily Beast

The government in Kiev has denounced the plebiscite as a “criminal farce.”

From The Daily Beast

The Muppets Most Wanted might be the best puppet-led musical mystery caper farce that Hollywood has ever produced.

From The Daily Beast

Unless, of course, everything he told us is “a big farce” to lead challengers off the scent.

From The Daily Beast

History repeats itself,” Marx famously wrote, “first as tragedy, second as farce.

From The Daily Beast

Here was one cause of his disinclination to meet his wife—having to keep up the farce of Dr. Ashton's action.

From Project Gutenberg

Another celebrated spiritual farce was enacted in 1810, entitled "The Sampford Ghost."

From Project Gutenberg

After all, she could return his present when the farce was over, and she was in a mood to have the world poured into her lap.

From Project Gutenberg

He had told Ruby he would neither give his clothes nor money to the farce, and he prided himself on never going back on his word.

From Project Gutenberg

That done, there being nothing pleasant but the foolery of the farce, we went home.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• absurdity
• burlesque
• caricature
• comedy
• joke
• mockery
• parody
• sham
• skit
• slapstick
• travesty