lampoon

American  

[lam-poon] / læmˈpun /

noun

1. a sharp, often virulent satire directed against an individual or institution; a work of literature, art, or the like, ridiculing severely the character or behavior of a person, society, etc.

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verb (used with object)

1. to mock or ridicule in a lampoon.

   to lampoon important leaders in the government.

lampoon British  

/ læmˈpuːn /

noun

1. a satire in prose or verse ridiculing a person, literary work, etc

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verb

1. (tr) to attack or satirize in a lampoon

Related Words

See satire.

Other Word Forms

• lampooner noun
• lampoonery noun
• lampoonist noun
• unlampooned adjective

Etymology

Origin of lampoon

First recorded in 1635–45; from French lampon, said to be noun use of lampons “let us guzzle” (from a drinking song), imperative of lamper, akin to laper “to lap up,” from Germanic; lap ³

Explanation

When you make fun of something by imitating it in a humorous way, you're lampooning it. The writers at The Onion, Saturday Night Live, and FunnyOrDie.com are all experts in the art of the lampoon. Lampoon can be both a verb and a noun. To lampoon is ridicule. A lampoon is a parody or satire. Imagine you were frustrated by having your allowance reduced, so you wrote a funny play portraying mom and dad as dictators extracting lots of unfair taxes from their people. That's lampooning. And it probably won't help your allowance situation.

Example Sentences

One can see the attraction for writers: the insular setting, the acceptance of eccentricity, the entrenchment of the otherwise unemployable, and the ease by which one can lampoon social trends.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 5, 2026

But after an extensive hiatus, all three Wayans brothers are back, penning a new script that will lampoon the best and worst horror has had to offer in the 13 years since “Scary Movie 5.”

From Salon • Jan. 4, 2026

Beeple, who is 44, spoke with The Wall Street Journal on Friday about his latest lampoon as he stood in the pen with his pack at the fair, which runs through Sunday.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 5, 2025

Feiffer the cartoonist would regularly lampoon conformity, though he was anything but rebellious as a child growing up in New York.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 21, 2025

They had, in impudence, chosen this night, the night of our festive lampoon, for their attack, knowing our officers engaged in the drama; there could be little question of that.

From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume II: The Kingdom on the Waves" by M.T. Anderson

Related Words

• caricature
• mock
• parody
• satirize