parody
[par-uh-dee]
- a humorous or satirical imitation of a serious piece of literature or writing: his hilarious parody of Hamlet's soliloquy.
- the genre of literary composition represented by such imitations.
- a burlesque imitation of a musical composition.
- any humorous, satirical, or burlesque imitation, as of a person, event, etc.
- the use in the 16th century of borrowed material in a musical setting of the Mass (parody Mass).
- a poor or feeble imitation or semblance; travesty: His acting is a parody of his past greatness.
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- to imitate (a composition, author, etc.) for purposes of ridicule or satire.
- to imitate poorly or feebly; travesty.
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Origin of parody
Synonym study
1, 2. See burlesque.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for parodied
Contemporary Examples
[Laughs] Were you ever confronted by any of the people you parodied on Entourage?
Adrian Grenier Talks the Economy, the ‘Entourage’ Movie, and the HBO Series’ Alleged ‘Misogyny’Marlow Stern
October 28, 2014
That was the insanity, precisely, that “Strangelove” parodied, and nobody wants that world to come back.
Obama’s Nuclear Summit Aimed to Stop Terrorists. Now Putin’s the Issue.Christopher Dickey, Jamie Dettmer, Nadette De Visser
March 25, 2014
Now, pals James Franco and Seth Rogen have parodied the video.
Watch James Franco and Seth Rogen’s Hilarious Parody of Kanye West’s Music Video For 'Bound 2'Marlow Stern
November 25, 2013
[T]hese are morally serious objections that ought not be parodied or dismissed without consideration.
Due to the air of mystery about him, he also was one of the most parodied dictators ever.
Historical Examples
He was asked if he could name the author whose work was parodied.
The story is not translated; it is not imitated; it is not parodied.
A History of the French Novel, Vol. 2George Saintsbury
In this extraordinary composition, even the pater-noster is parodied.
A History of Caricature and GrotesqueThomas Wright
The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam is often parodied, but rarely worthily.
A Parody AnthologyCarolyn Wells
It proved to be Patsie, and her contribution was a collection of parodied proverbs.
The Head Girl at the GablesAngela Brazil
parody
- a musical, literary, or other composition that mimics the style of another composer, author, etc, in a humorous or satirical way
- mimicry of someone's individual manner in a humorous or satirical way
- something so badly done as to seem an intentional mockery; travesty
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- (tr) to make a parody of
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Word Origin
C16: via Latin from Greek paroidiā satirical poem, from para- 1 + ōidē song
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Word Origin and History for parodied
parody
v.
c.1745, from parody (n.). Related: Parodied; parodying.
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parody
n.
1590s (first recorded use in English is in Ben Jonson), from or in imitation of Latin parodia "parody," from Greek paroidia "burlesque song or poem," from para- "beside, parallel to" (see para- (1), in this case, "mock-") + oide "song, ode" (see ode). The meaning "poor or feeble imitation" is from 1830. Related: Parodic; parodical.
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
parody
In art, music, or literature, a satire that mimics the style of its object.
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The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.