parody

[par-uh-dee] /ˈpær ə di/
noun, plural parodies.
1.
a humorous or satirical imitation of a serious piece of literature or writing:
his hilarious parody of Hamlet's soliloquy.
2.
the genre of literary composition represented by such imitations.
3.
a burlesque imitation of a musical composition.
4.
any humorous, satirical, or burlesque imitation, as of a person, event, etc.
5.
the use in the 16th century of borrowed material in a musical setting of the Mass (parody Mass)
6.
a poor or feeble imitation or semblance; travesty:
His acting is a parody of his past greatness.
verb (used with object), parodied, parodying.
7.
to imitate (a composition, author, etc.) for purposes of ridicule or satire.
8.
to imitate poorly or feebly; travesty.
Origin
1590-1600; < Latin parōdia a parody < Greek parōidía a burlesque song or poem. See par-, ode, -y3
Related forms
parodiable, adjective
self-parody, noun, plural self-parodies.
unparodied, adjective
Can be confused
burlesque, caricature, cartoon, parody, satire (see synonym study at burlesque; see synonym study at satire)
Synonyms
1, 2. See burlesque.
Examples from the web for parody
  • Add to Hollywood's list of seemingly fail-safe movie genres: the parody.
  • Thanks for the laugh with your parody email, I really needed it.
  • She won an international reputation for her sophisticated wit, use of parody, and vivacity.
  • Dictators cannot abide parody, as it makes them appear vulnerable.
  • At times the prose is transparent, at others it humorously calls attention to the mystery novel genre with light parody.
  • Of course, while Warhol's strategy worked, it only did so because it was an implicit parody of the system of artistic fetishism.
  • It's surely a parody or joke.
  • Nevertheless, with his gentle gaiety, he begins his work with a parody of Milton.
  • Kids familiar with environmental issues will appreciate this deft parody, and the message about cooperation will be welcome, too.
  • The consequence was that a flavour of parody pervaded almost all the political ballads of the day.
British Dictionary definitions for parody

parody

/ˈpærədɪ/
noun (pl) -dies
1.
a musical, literary, or other composition that mimics the style of another composer, author, etc, in a humorous or satirical way
2.
mimicry of someone's individual manner in a humorous or satirical way
3.
something so badly done as to seem an intentional mockery; travesty
verb -dies, -dying, -died
4.
(transitive) to make a parody of
Derived Forms
parodic (pəˈrɒdɪk), parodical, adjective
parodist, noun
Word Origin
C16: via Latin from Greek paroidiā satirical poem, from para-1 + ōidē song
Word Origin and History for parody
n.

1590s (first recorded use in English is in Ben Jonson), from or in imitation of Latin parodia "parody," from Greek paroidia "burlesque song or poem," from para- "beside, parallel to" (see para- (1), in this case, "mock-") + oide "song, ode" (see ode). The meaning "poor or feeble imitation" is from 1830. Related: Parodic; parodical.

v.

c.1745, from parody (n.). Related: Parodied; parodying.

parody in Culture

parody definition


In art, music, or literature, a satire that mimics the style of its object.