Synonyms of burlesque

burlesque 1 of 2

noun

(ˌ)bər-ˈlesk 

as in parody

a work that imitates and exaggerates another work for comic effect

it is interesting to note that the first novel ever written in English was followed by a burlesque of it

Synonyms & Similar Words

• parody
• spoof
• satire
• caricature
• takeoff
• rib
• send-up
• imitation
• travesty
• comedy
• sketch
• put-on
• farce
• distortion
• exaggeration
• mockery
• lampoon
• humor
• slapstick
• impersonation
• squib
• mimicking

burlesque

2 of 2

verb

as in to parody

to copy or exaggerate (someone or something) in order to make fun of

burlesquing the teacher's nervous tic isn't very nice

Synonyms & Similar Words

• parody
• mock
• imitate
• do
• caricature
• spoof
• mimic
• send up
• travesty
• play
• ridicule
• perform
• satirize
• simulate
• emulate
• lampoon
• pantomime
• reproduce
• parrot
• pretend
• monkey
• pasquinade
• ape
• mime
• jibe
• act
• deride
• personate
• elaborate
• gibe
• sham
• pad
• duplicate
• counterfeit
• enhance
• flesh (out)
• stretch
• fake
• replicate
• feign
• exaggerate
• embroider
• embellish
• play up
• enlarge (on or upon)
• copycat
• put on
• dissemble
• expand
• overdraw
• amplify
• magnify
• overstate
• impersonate

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun burlesque differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of burlesque are caricature, parody, and travesty. While all these words mean "a comic or grotesque imitation," burlesque implies mockery especially through giving a serious or lofty subject a frivolous treatment.

a nightclub burlesque of a trial in court

In what contexts can caricature take the place of burlesque?

The words caricature and burlesque are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, caricature implies ludicrous exaggeration of the characteristic features of a subject.

caricatures of politicians in cartoons

When might parody be a better fit than burlesque?

The synonyms parody and burlesque are sometimes interchangeable, but 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

When is it sensible to use travesty instead of burlesque?

The meanings of travesty and burlesque largely overlap; however, travesty implies that the subject remains unchanged but that the style is extravagant or absurd.

this production is a travesty of the opera

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of burlesque

Noun

The event, which takes place on the theater's intimate and recently renovated Knight Stage, is a throwback to the golden era of 1940s and 1950s burlesque. —Sam Allard, Axios, 14 Mar. 2025

In addition to being a place to drink and do karaoke, Vern’s offered live entertainment, including burlesque shows and drag performances, held sip-and-paint classes and other events, and most recently hosted an adult Easter egg hunt. —Gloria Casas, Chicago Tribune, 8 May 2025

Verb

That Dyer burlesque—of self-ravelling and unravelling—stretched across a memoir (though the narrative essentially ends at twenty-one) quickly takes on a quality of mock-heroic completism. —James Wood, New Yorker, 14 July 2025

That song doesn’t belong in a film that promotes the era’s social fragmentation and repeats fatuous antagonisms — burlesqued by Melissa McCarthy playing the sea world’s villainous white-witch octopus Ursula. —Armond White, National Review, 26 May 2023