parody

American  

[par-uh-dee] / ˈpær ə di /

noun

parodies plural

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.

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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 British  

/ 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

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verb

1. (tr) to make a parody of

parody Cultural  

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

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Synonym Usage

See burlesque.

Other Word Forms

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

Etymology

Origin of parody

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

Explanation

A parody is a humorous or mocking imitation of something, using the same form as the original. To parody a poem, you have to write another poem. A parody is a form of humor that spoofs — or satirizes — something using the same form. For example, shows like "Saturday Night Live" and "The Daily Show" parody newscasts by doing fake newscasts that look like the real thing. Comedians and comedy writers love to parody the President. Anything in the public eye could be the object of a parody.

Example Sentences

Riley has taken to wearing outsized hats for most press events for the new film, a look that is as distinctive as it can be an invitation to parody.

From Los Angeles Times • May 20, 2026

Satirical news outlet The Onion later made a bid to acquire Infowars with the families’ support to transform the website into a parody site.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 18, 2026

The latest examples are almost too on-the-nose to parody.

From Salon • May 18, 2026

On Thursday, Kimmel made the remarks during a parody of the forthcoming White House Correspondents' Dinner.

From BBC • Apr. 27, 2026

In retaliation, the Irish shouted a parody of the song across the dark backyards.

From "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" by Betty Smith

Related Words

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