Synonyms of satire

satire

noun

ˈsa-ˌtī(-ə)r 

as in parody

a creative work that uses sharp humor to point up the foolishness of a person, institution, or human nature in general

a satire about the music industry in which a handsome but untalented youth is turned into a pop star

Synonyms & Similar Words

• parody
• spoof
• comedy
• lampoon
• caricature
• pasquinade
• burlesque
• skit
• sketch
• farce
• ridicule
• takeoff
• cartoon
• squib
• slapstick
• derision
• mockery
• travesty

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun satire differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of satire are humor, irony, repartee, sarcasm, and wit. While all these words mean "a mode of expression intended to arouse amusement," satire applies to writing that exposes or ridicules conduct, doctrines, or institutions either by direct criticism or more often through irony, parody, or caricature.

a satire on the Congress

Where would humor be a reasonable alternative to satire?

While in some cases nearly identical to satire, humor implies an ability to perceive the ludicrous, the comical, and the absurd in human life and to express these usually without bitterness.

a sense of humor

When is irony a more appropriate choice than satire?

Although the words irony and satire have much in common, irony applies to a manner of expression in which the intended meaning is the opposite of what is seemingly expressed.

the irony of the title

When would repartee be a good substitute for satire?

The synonyms repartee and satire are sometimes interchangeable, but repartee implies the power of answering quickly, pointedly, or wittily.

a dinner guest noted for repartee

When can sarcasm be used instead of satire?

The words sarcasm and satire can be used in similar contexts, but sarcasm applies to expression frequently in the form of irony that is intended to cut or wound.

given to heartless sarcasm

When could wit be used to replace satire?

The meanings of wit and satire largely overlap; however, wit suggests the power to evoke laughter by remarks showing verbal felicity or ingenuity and swift perception especially of the incongruous.

a playful wit

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of satire

Duvall possessed a Brando-like intensity in the Seventies, whether as the coldly strategic Tom Hagen in the Godfather pictures or as Frank Hackett, the soulless, hotheaded executive in Sidney Lumet’s bruising satire Network. —Tim Grierson, Rolling Stone, 16 Feb. 2026

The diners, much like the audience during the opening scene for director Verbinski’s ambitious satire on this existential threat to humanity, have no idea how this madman raging against the AI machine in an LA eatery would save the world. —Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 15 Feb. 2026

Or, indeed, anyone else’s, given its alluring but thoroughly peculiar jumble of comic, dramatic and generally antic tones, or the increasingly indeterminate target of its hollow social satire. —Guy Lodge, Variety, 14 Feb. 2026

The lyrics breathe like literary miniatures, gleefully exploring social satire, the fantastic and macabre. —Ernesto Lechner, Los Angeles Times, 10 Feb. 2026