burlesque
Use Burlesque in a sentence
noun
1.
an artistic composition, especially literary or dramatic, that, for the sake of laughter, vulgarizes lofty material or treats ordinary material with mock dignity.
2.
any ludicrous parody or grotesque caricature.
3.
Also, bur·lesk. a humorous and provocative stage show featuring slapstick humor, comic skits, bawdy songs, striptease acts, and a scantily clad female chorus.
adjective
4.
involving ludicrous or mocking treatment of a solemn subject.
5.
of, pertaining to, or like stage-show burlesque.
00:10
Burlesque
is one of our favorite verbs.
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| to swindle, cheat, hoodwink, or hoax. |
| to introduce subtleties into or argue subtly about. |
verb (used with object)
6.
to make ridiculous by mocking representation.
verb (used without object)
7.
to use caricature.
Origin:
1650–60; < French < Italian burlesco, equivalent to burl(a) jest (perhaps < Spanish; cf. burladero) + -esco -esque
1650–60; < French < Italian burlesco, equivalent to burl(a) jest (perhaps < Spanish; cf. burladero) + -esco -esque
Related forms
bur·lesque·ly, adverb
bur·lesqu·er, noun
pre·bur·lesque, adjective
un·bur·lesqued, adjective
Can be confused: burlesque, caricature, cartoon, parody, satire (see synonym study at the current entry)(see synonym study at satire).
Synonyms
1. satire, lampoon, farce. Burlesque, caricature, parody, travesty refer to the literary or dramatic forms that imitate serious works or subjects to achieve a humorous or satiric purpose. The characteristic device of burlesque is mockery of both high and low through association with their opposites: a burlesque of high and low life. Caricature usually associated with visual arts or with visual effects in literary works, implies exaggeration of characteristic details: The caricature emphasized his nose. Parody achieves its humor through application of the manner or technique, usually of a well-known writer, to unaccustomed subjects: a parody by Swift. Travesty implies a grotesque form of burlesque: characters so changed as to produce a travesty.
1. satire, lampoon, farce. Burlesque, caricature, parody, travesty refer to the literary or dramatic forms that imitate serious works or subjects to achieve a humorous or satiric purpose. The characteristic device of burlesque is mockery of both high and low through association with their opposites: a burlesque of high and low life. Caricature usually associated with visual arts or with visual effects in literary works, implies exaggeration of characteristic details: The caricature emphasized his nose. Parody achieves its humor through application of the manner or technique, usually of a well-known writer, to unaccustomed subjects: a parody by Swift. Travesty implies a grotesque form of burlesque: characters so changed as to produce a travesty.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Link To burlesque
Collins
World English Dictionary
burlesque (bɜːˈlɛsk) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —n | |
| 1. | an artistic work, esp literary or dramatic, satirizing a subject by caricaturing it |
| 2. | a ludicrous imitation or caricature |
| 3. | a play of the 17th--19th centuries that parodied some contemporary dramatic fashion or event |
| 4. | (US), (Canadian) theatre Also: burlesk, Slang name: burleycue a bawdy comedy show of the late 19th and early 20th centuries: the striptease eventually became one of its chief elements |
| —adj | |
| 5. | of, relating to, or characteristic of a burlesque |
| —vb , -lesques, -lesquing, -lesqued | |
| 6. | to represent or imitate (a person or thing) in a ludicrous way; caricature |
| [C17: from French, from Italian burlesco, from burla a jest, piece of nonsense] | |
| bur'lesquer | |
| —n | |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
Etymonline
Word Origin & History
burlesque
1660s, "derisive imitation, grotesque parody," from Fr. burlesque (16c.), from It. burlesco, from burla "joke, fun, mockery," possibly ultimately from L.L. burra "trifle, nonsense," lit. "flock of wool." Modern sense of "variety show featuring striptease" is Amer.Eng., 1870. Originally (1857) "the sketches
at the end of minstrel shows." As a verb, from 1670s.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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Example sentences from the web
The humorous situations are mostly burlesque, and it includes satire.
Burlesque is now spreading across the world reaching countries such as russia.
Nearby Words
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