parody

[ par-uh-dee ]
See synonyms for: parodyparodiedparodying on Thesaurus.com

noun,plural par·o·dies.
  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.

  1. a burlesque imitation of a musical composition.

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

  3. the use in the 16th century of borrowed material in a musical setting of the Mass (parody Mass ).

  4. 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.
  1. to imitate (a composition, author, etc.) for purposes of ridicule or satire.

  2. to imitate poorly or feebly; travesty.

Origin of parody

1
First recorded in 1590–1600; from Latin parōdia, from Greek parōidía “burlesque song or poem”; equivalent to par- + ode + -y3

synonym study For parody

1, 2. See burlesque.

Other words from parody

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

Words that may be confused with parody

Words Nearby parody

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use parody in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for parody

parody

/ (ˈpærədɪ) /


nounplural -dies
  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

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

verb-dies, -dying or -died
  1. (tr) to make a parody of

Origin of parody

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

Derived forms of parody

  • parodic (pəˈrɒdɪk) or parodical, adjective
  • parodist, noun

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

Cultural definitions for parody

parody

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

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.