satire
Americannoun
-
the use of irony, sarcasm, ridicule, or the like, to expose, denounce, or deride the folly or corruption of institutions, people, or social structures.
The success of the production stems from its balance of affectionate comedy and well-observed satire.
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a work of art, literature, or entertainment in which the folly and corruption of human beings, institutions, or social structures are exposed, denounced, or ridiculed.
The skit offended only those who didn’t recognize it as a political satire.
Did you notice that all the novels on her bookshelf were satires?
- Synonyms:
- travesty, parody, caricature, burlesque
-
a genre of literature, art, or entertainment comprising such works.
The eighteenth century is considered British literature’s golden age of satire.
- Synonyms:
- travesty, parody, caricature, burlesque
noun
-
a novel, play, entertainment, etc, in which topical issues, folly, or evil are held up to scorn by means of ridicule and irony
-
the genre constituted by such works
-
the use of ridicule, irony, etc, to create such an effect
Synonym Usage
See irony 1. Satire, lampoon refer to literary forms in which vices or follies are ridiculed. Satire, the general term, often emphasizes the weakness more than the weak person, and usually implies moral judgment and corrective purpose: Swift's satire of human pettiness and bestiality. Lampoon refers to a form of satire, often political or personal, characterized by the malice or virulence of its attack: lampoons of the leading political figures.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of satire
First recorded in 1500–10; from Latin satira, variant of satura “medley,” perhaps feminine derivative of satur “sated” ( see saturate)
Compare meaning
How does satire compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
Satire is a way of making fun of people by using silly or exaggerated language. Politicians are easy targets for satire, especially when they're acting self-righteous or hypocritical. Even though the ridiculous language of satire isn't intended to be taken seriously, well-made satire can use mockery to get at more serious truths. Sometimes satire can even overtake reality: when the television sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live presented a mock debate between Al Gore and George W. Bush during the 2000 presidential campaign season, the satire was so dead-on that it influenced the way people thought of the candidates.
Vocabulary lists containing satire
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Literary Devices & Figures of Speech - Introductory
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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:
The freedom-of-speech monitor, Media and Law Studies Association, said Göktaş was facing prison "for telling jokes", and pointed out that satire was protected under Turkey's constitution and the European Convention on Human Rights.
From BBC ● Jul. 3, 2026
The 44-year-old actor -- coming off a banner year of awards for his Hollywood satire "The Studio" -- said relationships are always box office gold because "it's high stakes, very personal, very relatable."
From Barron's ● Jun. 25, 2026
On June 27, Culture Clash will return to Grand Performances, a free summer concert series at California Plaza in downtown L.A., with comedic sketches colored by political and social satire.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 24, 2026
I got banned on British radio back in the day because it was a quite an acerbic kind of satire.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 11, 2026
He read and reread the works of Stephen Potter—the English writer who coined the terms one-upmanship and gamesmanship—not as social satire but as a manual of practical stratagems.
From "Into the Wild" by Jon Krakauer
The latter film is one of Keaton’s lesser-known but still brilliantly limned stone-faced satires, in this case involving cowpokes and its star’s tender feelings for a milk cow.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 17, 2025
“Two brilliant showbiz satires, ‘Hacks’ and ‘The Studio,’ will likely be battling it out,” predicts Matt Roush.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 21, 2025
Unlike most post-“Parasite” satires, “Common Side Effects” encourages its viewers to think about its themes in new and mystifying ways.
From Salon ● Apr. 4, 2025
His 1964 apocalyptic Cold War comedy Dr Strangelove will be staged by Armando Iannucci, who is known for TV political satires The Thick of It and Veep.
From BBC ● Jul. 14, 2023
Ennius also appears, like Lucilius and Horace, to have communicated in his satires his own personal feelings and experience, as in the fragment already quoted:— Nunquam poetor, nisi si podager.
From The Roman Poets of the Republic by Sellar, W. Y.
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.
