parody

[par-uh-dee]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR parody ON THESAURUS.COM

noun, plural par·o·dies.

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.

verb (used with object), par·o·died, par·o·dy·ing.

to imitate (a composition, author, etc.) for purposes of ridicule or satire.

to imitate poorly or feebly; travesty.

Origin of parody

1590–1600; < Latin parōdia a parody < Greek parōidía a burlesque song or poem. See par-, ode, -y³

Related formspar·o·di·a·ble, adjectiveself-par·o·dy, noun, plural self·-par·o·dies.un·par·o·died, adjective

Can be confusedburlesque caricature cartoon parody satire (see synonym study at burlesque)

Synonym study

1, 2. See burlesque.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for parodied

exaggerate, ridicule, lampoon, mimic, satirize, disparage, mock, caricature, jest, joke, jeer, roast, distort, burlesque, impersonate, deride, travesty, mime, copy, ape

Examples from the Web for parodied

Contemporary Examples of parodied

[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.
The Morally Serious Arguments from Gun Proponents
Justin Green
December 16, 2012
Due to the air of mystery about him, he also was one of the most parodied dictators ever.
Kim Jong-il Parodies: ‘Team America,’ ‘The Simpsons,’ & More (Video)
Marlow Stern
December 19, 2011

Historical Examples of parodied

He was asked if he could name the author whose work was parodied.
Charles Lever, His Life in His Letters, Vol. I (of II)
Edmund Downey
The story is not translated; it is not imitated; it is not parodied.
A History of the French Novel, Vol. 2
George Saintsbury
In this extraordinary composition, even the pater-noster is parodied.
A History of Caricature and Grotesque
Thomas Wright
The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam is often parodied, but rarely worthily.
A Parody Anthology
Carolyn Wells
It proved to be Patsie, and her contribution was a collection of parodied proverbs.
The Head Girl at the Gables
Angela Brazil

British Dictionary definitions for parodied

parody

noun plural -dies

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

verb -dies, -dying or -died

(tr) to make a parody of

Derived Formsparodic (pəˈrɒdɪk) or parodical, adjectiveparodist, noun

Word Origin for parody

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 Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for parodied

parody

c.1745, from parody (n.). Related: Parodied; parodying.

parody

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.

parodied in Culture

parody

In art, music, or literature, a satire that mimics the style of its object.