parody
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.a book, film, or song that copies a famous style in a funny way to make fun of it.
n.a literary or artistic work that imitates the characteristic style of an author or a work for comic effect or ridicule.
Simple“The movie is a funny parody of old detective films from the 1940s.”
In context“The comedian performed a biting parody of the prime minister's speech, perfectly capturing his repetitive phrasing and awkward gestures.”
UsageOften used with the preposition 'of' to indicate the target of the imitation.
Synonyms - 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to copy the way someone speaks or writes to make people laugh at them.
v.to produce a humorously exaggerated imitation of a writer, artist, or genre.
Simple“He likes to parody famous singers by exaggerating their high notes.”
In context“The novelist managed to parody the dry, academic tone of legal documents while still maintaining a compelling narrative.”
UsageThis is a transitive verb that requires a direct object.
Synonyms - 03 C2 Proficiency
n.an old word for a common saying or a piece of traditional advice.
n.a popular maxim, adage, or proverb.
Simple“The old book was full of parodies and wise sayings from the village.”
In context“In the seventeenth-century manuscript, the author frequently cites a local parody to justify his moral stance.”
Teacher's tipThis sense is obsolete in modern English; learners will almost exclusively encounter 'parody' in the context of humor and satire.
“Kaye has built a global following via Instagram and TikTok with videos in which she parodies popular music trends and genres such as K-pop, and chart-topping stars from Taylor Swift to Ed Sheeran.”
“Also it’s so old-fashioned in its structure it plays almost like a tongue-in-cheek parody.”
From Latin parōdia, from Ancient Greek παρῳδία (parōidía, “parody”), from παρά (pará, “besides”) + ᾠδή (ōidḗ, “song”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.