parody

noun

par·o·dy | \ ˈper-ə-dē

, ˈpa-rə-\

plural parodies

Definition of parody

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : a literary or musical work in which the style of an author or work is closely imitated for comic effect or in ridicule wrote a hilarious parody of a popular song

2 : a feeble or ridiculous imitation a cheesy parody of a classic western

parody

verb

parodied; parodying

Definition of parody (Entry 2 of 2)

transitive verb

1 : to compose a parody on parody a poem

2 : to imitate in the manner of a parody

Other Words from parody Synonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about parody

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Other Words from parody

Noun

parodic \ pə-ˈrä-dik

, pa- \ adjective

parodistic \ ˌper-ə-ˈdi-stik

, ˌpa-rə- \ adjective

Choose the Right Synonym for parody

Noun

caricature, burlesque, parody, travesty mean a comic or grotesque imitation. caricature implies ludicrous exaggeration of the characteristic features of a subject. caricatures of politicians in cartoons burlesque implies mockery especially through giving a serious or lofty subject a frivolous treatment. a nightclub burlesque of a trial in court parody applies especially to treatment of a trivial or ludicrous subject in the exactly imitated style of a well-known author or work. a witty parody of a popular novel travesty implies that the subject remains unchanged but that the style is extravagant or absurd. this production is a travesty of the opera

Examples of parody in a Sentence

Noun

He has a talent for writing parodies. a writer with a talent for parody

Verb

It was easy to parody the book's fancy language. She parodied her brother's poetry.

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Taylor Swift parody fan Twitter account @LegitTayUpdates often posts fun facts and jokes about the pop singer that receive likes and RTs in the hundreds and low thousands. — Claire Dodson, Teen Vogue, "Taylor Swift Parody Fan Account Creator Says She Submitted Tweets From Inside an Israeli Military Prison," 3 Apr. 2019 It's been the subject of memes and parodies and tweets. — Marisa Lascala, Good Housekeeping, "Singing Baby Shark Toys Are Here to Get That Song Stuck In Your Head Forever," 30 Nov. 2018 During her visit to Saturday Night Live on May 19, Nicki Minaj joined cast members Tina Fey, Aidy Bryant, and Kate McKinnon in what looks to be a parody of famed sister girl-group Haim. — Rob Arcand, Billboard, "Watch Nicki Minaj Poke Fun at Haim in 'Friendship Song' Sketch on 'SNL'," 20 May 2018 Where Shaun of the Dead was more of a straight parody of the hammer horror zombie movies of lore, Hot Fuzz doesn't tie itself so inextricably to any one source. — Tom Philip, GQ, "Hot Fuzz Is One of the Best Action Movies Ever, and It's on Netflix," 30 Apr. 2018 Yes, the change in Secretary of State—one of the most important, if not the most important, cabinet positions—was announced via social media, as if Trump was every parody of himself imaginable. — Graeme Mcmillan, WIRED, "While You Were Offline: Trump Wants US to Have a Space Force (Seriously!)," 18 Mar. 2018 In fact, there is no Congressman Smith — the account is a parody. — Kevin Crowe, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Russian Twitter trolls stoked racial tension in wake of Sherman Park rioting in Milwaukee before 2016 election," 15 Mar. 2018 Dan Brown's 'The Lost Symbol' Mark Twain’s A Double-Barreled Detective Story is a novella-length parody of whodunits. — Newsweek, "Amazing Photos of Bioluminescent Phytoplankton," 14 Mar. 2018 The show is meant to be a parody of Silicon Valley which, as Judge points out, does have a gender imbalance. — Rebecca Farley, refinery29.com, "Actually, HBO's Silicon Valley Doesn't Have To Be So White," 7 Mar. 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

During the latest episode of the late-night comedy show, Joy and Meghan's fights were mocked on a sketch parodying The View. — Kayla Keegan, Good Housekeeping, "'The View' Stars Meghan McCain and Joy Behar Speak Out After 'SNL' Skit," 15 Apr. 2019 The sketch parodied Britain's current Prime Minister, Theresa May, and the tumultuous political climate in the United Kingdom surrounding Brexit. — Amy Mackelden, Harper's BAZAAR, "Kit Harington Played Winston Churchill in a Hilarious Theresa May Brexit Skit on SNL," 7 Apr. 2019 Set in the medieval kingdom of Dreamland, Disenchantment aims to parody fantasy the way Futurama parodies science fiction. — Samantha Nelson, The Verge, "Disenchantment lacks the magic of Netflix’s other animated originals," 7 Aug. 2018 This pastime has evolved to a near-holy tradition, parodied on Saturday Night Live, analyzed in academic papers, and reaffirmed by Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan. — Jamie Lauren Keiles, Vox, "In the US, Jews have been eating American Chinese food on Christmas for over 100 years.," 21 Dec. 2018 No Logomania: Fall 2017 This collection parodied the mania for writing brand names on products as a selling mechanism by emblazoning its garments—especially soccer scarves, the beginning of that micro-menswear trend—with the word nothing. — Luke Leitch, Vogue, "He Put the Man in Lanvin: Saluting Lucas Ossendrijver’s Tenure at the French Label," 15 Nov. 2018 Thus, Israel transitioned from thievery to forgery, using her skills as a researcher and her ability to parody the tone of other writers to craft new letters from prominent figures of the past. — Lauren Hubbard, Town & Country, "The True Story of Lee Israel and the Literary Forgeries in Can You Ever Forgive Me?," 12 Sep. 2018 After the performance, Prince Harry also took the stage and sang a few notes, parodying King George III's signature line. — Erica Gonzales, Harper's BAZAAR, "Meghan Markle Accidentally Revealed Her Pet Name for Prince Harry and Reacted in the Cutest Way," 31 Aug. 2018 One mom parodied the experience in a video on social media, which people have found so relatable that it’s been viewed over 7.5 million times. — Michelle Gant, Fox News, "Tennessee mom's school drop-off parody video goes viral," 15 Aug. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'parody.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.