parody

[par-uh-dee]

noun

plural

parodies 

1. a humorous or satirical imitation of a serious piece of literature or writing.

   his hilarious parody of Hamlet's soliloquy.

2. the genre of literary composition represented by such imitations.

3. a burlesque imitation of a musical composition.

4. any humorous, satirical, or burlesque imitation, as of a person, event, etc.

5. the use in the 16th century of borrowed material in a musical setting of the Mass parody Mass.

6. a poor or feeble imitation or semblance; travesty.

   His acting is a parody of his past greatness.

verb (used with object)

parodied, parodying 

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

2. to imitate poorly or feebly; travesty.

parody

/ ˈpærədɪ, pəˈrɒdɪk /

noun

1. a musical, literary, or other composition that mimics the style of another composer, author, etc, in a humorous or satirical way

2. mimicry of someone's individual manner in a humorous or satirical way

3. something so badly done as to seem an intentional mockery; travesty

verb

1. (tr) to make a parody of

parody

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

Other Word Forms

• parodiable adjective
• self-parody noun
• unparodied adjective
• parodic adjective
• parodist noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of parody¹

First recorded in 1590–1600; from Latin parōdia, from Greek parōidía “burlesque song or poem”; equivalent to par- + ode + -y ³

Word History and Origins

Origin of parody¹

C16: via Latin from Greek paroidiā satirical poem, from _para- ¹ + ōidē song

Synonym Study

See burlesque.

Example Sentences

At one point, they create a “Jaws” parody with a tortilla chip and jar of salsa.

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A parody of a traditional newscast, the irreverent concept features dozens of peculiar puppets who populate the fictional town of Titirilquén.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

The names alone suggest a level of parody, and, in the first episode, a send-up quality flits in and out of the proceedings, but the show chooses cynicism over satire every time.

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Some uses of protected characters, logos and other brand elements might lie outside copyright protection, particularly if they involve parody, criticism or commentary, according to an OpenAI spokeswoman.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

This is a parody of what “cancel culture” meant when the campus left shouted down conservative judges and scholars.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• burlesque 
• caricature 
• cartoon 
• farce 
• irony 
• joke 
• satire 
• skit 
• travesty