spoof
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.a funny book, film, or play that copies the style of something else to make fun of it.
n.a lighthearted parody or satirical imitation of a specific genre, work, or style.
Simple“The movie is a hilarious spoof of classic spy films like James Bond.”
In context“The director's latest project is a sharp spoof of contemporary horror tropes, subverting audience expectations at every turn.”
- 02 C1 Advanced
n.a trick or a joke that is meant to deceive people.
n.a hoax, deception, or practical joke intended to mislead.
Simple“The news story about the flying penguins turned out to be an April Fool's spoof.”
In context“What initially appeared to be a legitimate scientific discovery was later revealed as an elaborate spoof designed to highlight the lack of peer review.”
- 03 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to copy the style of someone or something in a funny way.
v.to satirize or mimic something in a humorous, non-malicious manner.
Simple“The comedian loves to spoof famous politicians during his show.”
In context“The sketch show frequently spoofs high-budget advertising campaigns, using low-cost props to achieve a comic effect.”
- 04 C1 Advanced
v.to trick a computer or person by sending fake information, like a fake email address.
v.to falsify data or identities, such as IP addresses or caller IDs, typically for the purpose of gaining unauthorised access or scamming.
Simple“Scammers often spoof phone numbers to make it look like a local call.”
In context“The attackers managed to spoof the server's identity, allowing them to intercept sensitive traffic without triggering any security alerts.”
UsageOften used in the context of 'IP spoofing' or 'email spoofing'.
Synonyms - 05 C1 Advanced
adj.describing something that is not real and is meant to trick or mock.
adj.functioning as a hoax or a parody; not genuine.
Simple“He created a spoof website that looked exactly like the official bank page.”
In context“The activists distributed spoof newspapers featuring headlines about radical environmental policy changes to provoke public debate.”
Coined by the English comedian Arthur Roberts (1852–1933) in 1884 as the name of a card game involving deception and nonsense.
Origin unknown; perhaps imitative of the spurting of a viscous liquid. Compare splooge, spoo (US slang), spooge, spaff.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.