par·o·dy

[par-uh-dee] noun, plural par·o·dies, verb, par·o·died, par·o·dy·ing.
noun
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)
7.
to imitate (a composition, author, etc.) for purposes of ridicule or satire.
8.
to imitate poorly or feebly; travesty.
00:10
Parody is one of our favorite verbs.
So is subtilize. Does it mean:
to introduce subtleties into or argue subtly about.
to run away hurriedly; flee.
LEARN MORE FUN, UNUSUAL VERBS WITH WORD DYNAMO...
Origin:
1590–1600; < Latin parōdia a parody < Greek parōidía a burlesque song or poem. See par-, ode, -y3

Related forms
par·o·di·a·ble, adjective
self-par·o·dy, noun, plural self·-par·o·dies.
un·par·o·died, adjective

Can be confused: burlesque, caricature, cartoon, parody, satire (see synonym study at burlesque)(see synonym study at satire).

Synonyms
1, 2. See burlesque.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source Link To parody
Collins
World English Dictionary
parody (ˈpærədɪ) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
—n , 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
 
—vb , -dies, -dies, -dying, -died
4.  (tr) to make a parody of
 
[C16: via Latin from Greek paroidiā satirical poem, from para-1 + ōidē song]
 
parodic
 
—adj
 
pa'rodical
 
—adj
 
'parodist
 
—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
Cite This Source
Etymonline
Word Origin & History

parody
1590s (first recorded use in English is in Ben Jonson), from or in imitation of L. parodia "parody," from Gk. paroidia "burlesque song or poem," from para- "beside, parallel to" (in this case, "mock-") + oide "song, ode" (see ode). The meaning "poor or feeble imitation" is from
1830. The verb is attested from c.1745. Related: Parodic; parodical.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source
American Heritage
Cultural Dictionary

parody definition


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

The American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Example sentences
It's surely a parody or joke.
Look at it another way, however, and the election is in danger of seeming a
  parody of democracy.
Dictators cannot abide parody, as it makes them appear vulnerable.
Add to Hollywood's list of seemingly fail-safe movie genres: the parody.
Partners:WordBloglinesCitysearchThe Daily BeastAsk AnswersAsk KidsLife123SendoriHome Advisor
Copyright © 2013 Dictionary.com, LLC. All rights reserved.
About PRIVACY POLICY Terms API Careers Advertise with Us Contact Us Suggest a Word Help
  • Please Login or Sign Up to use the Recent Searches feature
FAVORITES
RECENT