parody

[ par-uh-dee ]

/ ˈpær ə di /

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.

Nearby words

parodic, parodist, parodistic, parodontium, parodos, parody, paroecious, paroicous, parokheth, parol, parole

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

Examples from the Web for parody

But then, this show has always been more than just the parody of right-wing cable punditry it was originally made out to be.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|DAILY BEAST
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|DAILY BEAST
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|DAILY BEAST
“Let Me Poop” was first posted to YouTube in May, when it seemed there was a new “Let It Go” parody every day.
Shark Deathmatch, Crazy ‘Simpsons’ Couch Gag, and More Viral Videos|Alex Chancey|October 4, 2014|DAILY BEAST

But this is also a parody of narcissism, just a little detour to eternity.
Excuse Me For Not Dying: Leonard Cohen at 80|David Yaffe|September 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Everything in this parody of life was ruled by art just as, in the so-called reality, he had wished.
The Little Schoolmaster Mark|J. H. Shorthouse
Response to the Parody Outline of History was immediate, spontaneous and unanimous.
When Winter Comes to Main Street|Grant Martin Overton
It is twice blessed—it blesses him who earns, and those who give, to parody the words of Shakspeare.
Journal of a Voyage to Brazil|Maria Graham
A parody of parodies was the smallest Madigan, and her jokes were the shadows of shades of jokes handed down ready-made to her.
The Madigans|Miriam Michelson
His parody of Johnson's later style is one of the very best of the multitude of Johnsonian imitations.
The Heroine|Eaton Stannard Barrett

British Dictionary definitions for parody

parody

/ (ˈpærədɪ) /

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 parody (1 of 2)

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.

parody

noun, plural par·o·dies.

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

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Origin of parody

Synonym study

Examples from the Web for parody

British Dictionary definitions for parody

parody

noun plural -dies

verb -dies, -dying or -died

Word Origin for parody

Word Origin and History for parody (1 of 2)

parody

Word Origin and History for parody (1 of 2)

parody

Culture definitions for parody

parody