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

Expect a heavy-hitting lineup of live music, rotating DJs, and burlesque shows that will carry you well into the late night hours. —Kristin Braswell, Travel + Leisure, 16 Mar. 2025

The comedy derived from pie-in-the-face burlesque, but what distinguished the show was its frenetic pacing. —Susan Morrison, The New Yorker, 13 Jan. 2025

Verb

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

The seeming callousness with which the dancers burlesque a fourteen-year-old’s death—the breezy way that the dance turns a killing into a sight gag—induces a shiver. —Jody Rosen, The New Yorker, 7 Dec. 2022