travesty

American  

[trav-uh-stee] / ˈtræv ə sti /

noun

plural

travesties

1. a grotesque or debased likeness or imitation.

   a travesty of justice.

   Synonyms:

   distortion, sham, perversion, mockery

2. a literary or artistic burlesque of a serious work or subject, characterized by grotesque or ludicrous incongruity of style, treatment, or subject matter.

3. a literary or artistic composition so inferior in quality as to be merely a grotesque imitation of its model.

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verb (used with object)

travestied, travestying

1. to make a travesty on; turn (a serious work or subject) to ridicule by burlesquing.

2. to imitate grotesquely or absurdly.

travesty British  

/ ˈtrævɪstɪ /

noun

1. a farcical or grotesque imitation; mockery; parody

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verb

1. (tr) to make or be a travesty of

Usage

What does travesty mean? A travesty is something that imitates something else but in a gross or ridiculous manner. A travesty is also a literary or other artistic work that is a grotesque example of the art form it models. To travesty means to imitate absurdly or to parody a serious artwork. Example: The movie was an absolute travesty of the events that actually took place.

Related Words

See burlesque.

Other Word Forms

• untravestied adjective

Etymology

Origin of travesty

1655–65; < French travesti, past participle of travestir “to disguise” < Italian travestire, equivalent to tra- (< Latin trāns- trans- ) + vestire “to clothe” < Latin vestīre; vest

Explanation

A travesty is a cheap mockery, usually of something or someone serious, such as a travesty of justice. In literature, a travesty is a work that humorously and crudely imitates another work or style. But you can also use this word to describe anything that seems to mock, distort, or poorly imitate something else. A travesty of justice, for example, is a court case that makes a mockery of the judicial system — or so you might think, if the verdict isn't in your favor. Travesty comes from the French travesti, meaning "dressed in disguise."

Example Sentences

Surely, he thinks, Stalin wouldn’t stand for such a travesty.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 19, 2026

This being the Dodgers first postseason meeting with Springer since that travesty, it would be a nice time to show him just how furious.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 25, 2025

Department of Homeland Security, which supervises the agency, deserves extra credit for exposing this travesty.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 19, 2025

Singer Charlotte Church has described the media's treatment of her as a young woman as a "travesty".

From BBC • Oct. 6, 2025

Someone else remarks that it would be a travesty to dye over such a color, a shocking red much brighter than their mother’s auburn.

From "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern

Related Words

• burlesque
• distortion
• exaggeration
• farce
• mockery
• perversion
• satire
• sham