parody
Americannoun
-
parodies
plural
-
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)
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parodies,
present (3rd person singular)
-
parodied,
past participle, past
-
parodying
present participle
-
to imitate (a composition, author, etc.) for purposes of ridicule or satire.
-
to imitate poorly or feebly; travesty.
noun
-
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
-
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
-
parodiessimple
-
have parodiedperfect
-
has parodiedperfect
-
am parodyingprogressive
-
are parodyingprogressive
-
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.
See Examples For:
Efforts to replicate the former president’s mien can also risk coming off like imitation—or, worse, parody.
From Slate ● Sep. 9, 2026
But in the process, Marin became a kind of parody of itself, satirized by the writer Cyra McFadden in her 1977 novel, “The Serial.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 4, 2026
The Tiny Tim needledrops, an in-universe parody of Adam West’s Batman, the irony of its main character finding fulfillment as a fry cook — it all pointed toward Gen X’s wry, detached view of culture.
From Salon ● Aug. 30, 2026
Good Good Golf founder and CEO Matt Kendrick told me yesterday that the full video had been intended to be a parody of the new horror movie “Obsession” but had missed the mark.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 25, 2026
Half-blind, the dead unicorn stumbled toward the green rock needle until it reached a depression at its base, where it dropped to the knees of its forelegs in a ghastly parody of prayer.
From "Stardust" by Neil Gaiman
Revisit some of the show’s best jingles and parodies, appreciate Alec Baldwin’s singular performance as Jack Donaghy, and test your memory with this quiz.
From Slate ● Oct. 15, 2026
Oddie composed a number of comic songs for the series, often parodies of contemporary pop music.
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
The series’ first film is its strongest, weaving together overarching parodies of “Scream” and “I Know What You Did Last Summer” alongside brief send-ups of popular horror films.
From Salon ● Jun. 11, 2026
Both were affectionate parodies of tropes from classic musicals dating to an era when the art form was far more culturally influential than it is now.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 5, 2026
Some even wrote parodies of my poem, reading them to me in the hopes of getting under my skin.
From "Thirteen Reasons Why" by Jay Asher
Throughout the last four decades, Culture Clash has parodied nearly every prominent Latino figure in history, including Che Guevara, Frida Kahlo, Ritchie Valens, Rita Moreno, Edward James Olmos and others.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 24, 2026
The sandwich has even been seemingly parodied in “The Simpsons.”
From MarketWatch ● Apr. 29, 2026
Stanley Kubrick’s 1964 satirical masterpiece “Dr. Strangelove” brilliantly parodied the lunacy of the nuclear threat during the Cold War.
From Salon ● Mar. 10, 2026
The mockumentary “This Is Spinal Tap” parodied pompous rock musicians to great effect.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 17, 2025
It’s the most parodied painting in history, but every parody just draws more attention to the original.
From "The Mona Lisa Vanishes" by Nicholas Day
The chatbot would then produce a snide response parodying Chan.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 2026
Others came up with captions including "Don't Look Up," a reference to the 2021 film starring Leonardo Di Caprio parodying societal apathy to the climate crisis.
From Barron's ● Jul. 29, 2026
Before she broke out in 1988’s “Beetlejuice,” O’Hara was mainly known for her sidesplitting impressions on “SCTV,” parodying outsized icons such as Lucille Ball, Tammy Faye Bakker and Katharine Hepburn.
From Salon ● Feb. 4, 2026
Other options include Billy Joel, a mainstay in his rotation and the artist he has grown famous for parodying, or someone with ties to Las Vegas, like Elvis Pressley or Elton John.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 19, 2025
If smart people are parodying it, that’s a sure sign that some less smart people are believing it.
From "Every Day" by David Levithan
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