parody
Americannoun
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a humorous or satirical imitation of a serious piece of literature or writing.
his hilarious parody of Hamlet's soliloquy.
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the genre of literary composition represented by such imitations.
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a burlesque imitation of a musical composition.
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any humorous, satirical, or burlesque imitation, as of a person, event, etc.
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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)
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to imitate (a composition, author, etc.) for purposes of ridicule or satire.
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to imitate poorly or feebly; travesty.
noun
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a musical, literary, or other composition that mimics the style of another composer, author, etc, in a humorous or satirical way
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mimicry of someone's individual manner in a humorous or satirical way
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something so badly done as to seem an intentional mockery; travesty
verb
Synonym Usage
See burlesque.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
parodysimple
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parodiessimple
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have parodiedperfect
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has parodiedperfect
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am parodyingprogressive
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are parodyingprogressive
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is parodyingprogressive
-
have been parodyingperfect progressive
-
has been parodyingperfect progressive
Past
-
parodiedsimple
-
had parodiedperfect
-
was parodyingprogressive
-
were parodyingprogressive
-
had been parodyingperfect progressive
Future
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.
Vocabulary lists containing parody
Literary Devices & Figures of Speech - Introductory
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Poetry: Literary Devices
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Rhetoric
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Parody, in this case, is the sincerest form of flattery.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 21, 2026
Now a stage reading of the upcoming Willy's Candy Spectacular: A Musical Parody will have its world premiere at the Pleasance King Dome on 9 August.
From BBC • Jun. 4, 2024
Parody songs, Sloan theorizes, inspire moments of virality not only for their musical qualities, but because they are tied to a strong visual.
From Seattle Times • Aug. 29, 2023
On April 7 and 8, Park will be performing in “Scream, an Unauthorized Parody Musical.”
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 5, 2023
Parody on Hard Times, published in "Our Miscellany."
From Life of Charles Dickens by Marzials, Frank T. (Frank Thomas)
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
