parody 1 of 2

1
as in spoof
a work that imitates and exaggerates another work for comic effect the musical is a parody of every biblical epic ever made

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in joke
a poor, insincere, or insulting imitation of something the young man sported a feeble parody of a mustache in a vain attempt to make himself look older

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

parody

2 of 2

verb

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun parody differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of parody are burlesque, caricature, and travesty. While all these words mean "a comic or grotesque imitation," 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

Where would burlesque be a reasonable alternative to parody?

The words burlesque and parody are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, burlesque implies mockery especially through giving a serious or lofty subject a frivolous treatment.

a nightclub burlesque of a trial in court

When is caricature a more appropriate choice than parody?

Although the words caricature and parody have much in common, caricature implies ludicrous exaggeration of the characteristic features of a subject.

caricatures of politicians in cartoons

When could travesty be used to replace parody?

The synonyms travesty and parody are sometimes interchangeable, but 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

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of parody
Noun
Pop-culture figures like Frankenstein, Dracula, and the Wolfman are so ubiquitous as to be both movie characters and parodies of themselves, and this DuckTales episode is good for any kids that like monsters but aren’t quite ready to be menaced by them yet. Daniel Dockery, Vulture, 17 Oct. 2025 The episode also featured a parody of Thiel, who visits South Park Elementary to deliver an over-the-top presentation about how the Antichrist is coming. Brendan Morrow, USA Today, 16 Oct. 2025
Verb
Saturday Night Live host Amy Poehler and fellow ex-SNL cast member Tina Fey parodied Attorney General Pam Bondi and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem during a congressional hearing, cutting a pro-ICE advertisement along the way. William Vaillancourt, Rolling Stone, 12 Oct. 2025 Meta/Facebook has rolled out engaging bots, parodying famous personas such as Jane Austen; Snapchat has offered a chatbot to individual users. John Wihbey, Big Think, 7 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for parody
Recent Examples of Synonyms for parody
Noun
  • On last night’s episode of Saturday Night Live, a QVC spoof about a pillow took a meta turn.
    Paula Mejía, The Atlantic, 19 Oct. 2025
  • For instance, think back to when everyone was doing spoofs about titles that dealt with women in trains or in windows or in peril.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Dodgers manager Dave Roberts got in on the joke after his team captured the National League pennant for the fifth time in the past nine years.
    Andy McCullough, New York Times, 25 Oct. 2025
  • Students embraced the joke, and before long, every game began with hundreds of tortillas soaring into the night sky as the whistle blew for kickoff.
    Jessica Safavimehr, Southern Living, 24 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The principal of a Chicago elementary school that employs a teacher who appeared to mock the assassination of Charlie Kirk apparently portrayed the educator as a victim amid backlash over her behavior.
    Louis Casiano, FOXNews.com, 22 Oct. 2025
  • He has already been known to privately mock conservative pastors.
    Rev. Nathan Empsall, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • There are some theatrical releases coming home for the first time, like a buzzy Julia Garner horror flick and a celebrity satire with Kate Hudson and Elisabeth Moss.
    Brian Truitt, USA Today, 24 Oct. 2025
  • Get Shorty remains a classic Hollywood satire and one of the great examples of the decade’s foray into meta films.
    Erik Morse, Vogue, 23 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Arquette, meanwhile, manages to make Maggie more than a caricature.
    Bill Goodykoontz, AZCentral.com, 13 Oct. 2025
  • The screenplay stumbles the most when trying to render its Gen Z students, often diving too far into caricature.
    Mathew Rodriguez, Them., 10 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • In the spirit of art imitating life, the episode calls attention to the proliferation of potentially toxic chemicals in the products many of us slather daily on our face, body and hair.
    Sandee LaMotte, CNN Money, 21 Oct. 2025
  • This provides my son with an opportunity to imitate me verbally and gesturally.
    Hannah Nwoko, Parents, 20 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • In it, a cartoon version of herself smiles and waves in front of her colorful shop along 39th.
    Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 22 Oct. 2025
  • But a birthday is a tricky plot device for a cartoon character who has been a middle schooler for 18 years.
    Clare Mulroy, USA Today, 21 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • One issue is that hypnosis has long been viewed as a form of entertainment, a stage show with a hypnotist and an audience, which can give viewers a sense that hypnosis is something done to you rather than a process that a person is led through.
    Rustin Dodd, New York Times, 23 Oct. 2025
  • There are a lot of very respectable academics that have done a lot of really amazing work in Black Studies and Africana Studies.
    Fiction Non Fiction, Literary Hub, 23 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Parody.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/parody. Accessed 27 Oct. 2025.

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