opéra bouffe

American  

[op-er-uh boof, op-ruh, aw-pey-ra boof] / ˈɒp ər ə ˈbuf, ˈɒp rə, ɔ peɪ ra ˈbuf /

noun

plural

opéra bouffes, opéras bouffe,

plural

opéras bouffes

1. a comic opera, especially of farcical character.

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opéra bouffe British  

/ ɔpera buf, ˈɒpərə ˈbuːf /

noun

1. a type of light or satirical opera common in France during the 19th century

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Etymology

Origin of opéra bouffe

Borrowed into English from French around 1865–70

Example Sentences

Turner, who exhibited an opéra bouffe appearance but was a slashing and dangerous player, had beaten Bobby in the previous year’s Rosenwald.

From Literature

Opéra bouffe twists into opéra sérieux.

From New York Times

But 2½ hours of teenage insecurities turned into pop opéra bouffe make for a patience-trying endurance test for all but the most tolerant observers.

From Washington Post

As scandals go, this was minor stuff — more opéra bouffe than outrage.

From New York Times

Then back to one’s seat for diversion in the opportunely unreal world of late 18th-century Viennese opéra bouffe.

From Los Angeles Times