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. 2018

Examples from the Web for parody

Contemporary Examples

But then, this show has always been more than just the parody of right-wing cable punditry it was originally made out to be.
The End of Truthiness: Stephen Colbert’s Sublime Finale
Noel Murray
December 19, 2014
As part of the writing team on Blazing Saddles, he gave its parody of the Western a sharper political edge.
How Richard Pryor Beat Bill Cosby and Transformed America
David Yaffe, Scott Saul
December 10, 2014
He seems fleshless, bloodless; he might almost be a black man's parody of how a clean-cut white man moves.
The Stacks: Pauline Kael's Talking Heads Obsession
Pauline Kael
November 22, 2014
Parody of street harassment viral video shows “street privilege.”
What’s It Like for Men to Walk in NYC?
Alex Chancey, The Daily Beast Video
October 30, 2014
Entitled “Please Go Home,” the parody stars Daniel Franzese, best known as the “too gay to function” Damian from Mean Girls.
Anime Hologram Pop Stars, Return of ‘Fresh Prince’ Carlton, and More Viral Videos
Alex Chancey
October 12, 2014

Historical Examples

Let the creed and commandments even have the saucy homage of parody.
Essays, Second Series
Ralph Waldo Emerson
You may parody the great statesman's peroration, and say, 'Where the King cannot enter, he can.'
The Daltons, Volume II (of II)
Charles James Lever
Parody also helped in its way to the formation of the drama.
A Literary History of the English People
Jean Jules Jusserand
Aha, you've discovered it's a parody, have you, you sly minx!
The Straw
Eugene O'Neill
We have already had occasion to notice it in connexion with Field's parody of Kyd.
John Lyly
John Dover Wilson

British Dictionary definitions for parody

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

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 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.

v.

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

parody in Culture

parody

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

parody

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Synonym study

Examples from the Web for parody

Contemporary Examples

But then, this show has always been more than just the parody of right-wing cable punditry it was originally made out to be.

As part of the writing team on Blazing Saddles, he gave its parody of the Western a sharper political edge.

He seems fleshless, bloodless; he might almost be a black man's parody of how a clean-cut white man moves.

Parody of street harassment viral video shows “street privilege.”

Entitled “Please Go Home,” the parody stars Daniel Franzese, best known as the “too gay to function” Damian from Mean Girls.

Historical Examples

Let the creed and commandments even have the saucy homage of parody.

You may parody the great statesman's peroration, and say, 'Where the King cannot enter, he can.'

Parody also helped in its way to the formation of the drama.

Aha, you've discovered it's a parody, have you, you sly minx!

We have already had occasion to notice it in connexion with Field's parody of Kyd.

parody

Word Origin

Word Origin and History for parody

n.

v.

parody

Origin of parody