Word
Definition
n. a situation or event that is so disorganized or silly that it is hard to take seriously. It also refers to a type of funny play where characters get into ridiculous situations.
n. a light dramatic work marked by improbable situations and exaggerated characters; by extension, an absurd or hollow event. Often used to describe a process that has lost all credibility.
Examples
“The trial was a complete farce from start to finish.”
“The election turned into a farce when several candidates were disqualified just hours before the polls opened.”
“What began as a serious diplomatic effort quickly devolved into a farce, as neither side was willing to acknowledge the basic facts of the dispute.”
Examples
simple
“The trial was a complete farce from start to finish.”
contextual
“The election turned into a farce when several candidates were disqualified just hours before the polls opened.”
complex
“What began as a serious diplomatic effort quickly devolved into a farce, as neither side was willing to acknowledge the basic facts of the dispute.”
Usage
Commonly used with the indefinite article ('a farce') when referring to a specific situation.
Real-World Examples
“With this much slamming it’s no surprise that there’s an element of farce as the cast move in and out, become human dominoes and narrowly miss each other.” “Updated by Heggie to the era of podcasts, vapes and voice messages, it falls awkwardly between farce and drama.” Etymology
Borrowed from Middle French farce (“farce (style of humor); stuffing”) (in the latter sense, via Middle English fars, farsse), from Old French farse, from Medieval Latin farsa, from the feminine perfect passive participle of Latin farciō (“to stuff”). The theatre sense alludes to the pleasant and varied character of certain stuffed food items. Doublet of farse.
From Middle English farcen, from Old French farsir, farcir, from Latin farciō (“to cram, stuff”). Doublet of farse.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
NOUN
ADJECTIVE
Domain
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- C1 · Advanced
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/farce
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「日本語」 data: JMdict (EDRDG), CC BY-SA 4.0