satire
Americannoun
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the use of irony, sarcasm, ridicule, or the like, to expose, denounce, or deride the folly or corruption of institutions, people, or social structures.
The success of the production stems from its balance of affectionate comedy and well-observed satire.
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a work of art, literature, or entertainment in which the folly and corruption of human beings, institutions, or social structures are exposed, denounced, or ridiculed.
The skit offended only those who didn’t recognize it as a political satire.
Did you notice that all the novels on her bookshelf were satires?
- Synonyms:
- travesty, parody, caricature, burlesque
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a genre of literature, art, or entertainment comprising such works.
The eighteenth century is considered British literature’s golden age of satire.
- Synonyms:
- travesty, parody, caricature, burlesque
noun
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a novel, play, entertainment, etc, in which topical issues, folly, or evil are held up to scorn by means of ridicule and irony
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the genre constituted by such works
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the use of ridicule, irony, etc, to create such an effect
Related Words
See irony 1. Satire, lampoon refer to literary forms in which vices or follies are ridiculed. Satire, the general term, often emphasizes the weakness more than the weak person, and usually implies moral judgment and corrective purpose: Swift's satire of human pettiness and bestiality. Lampoon refers to a form of satire, often political or personal, characterized by the malice or virulence of its attack: lampoons of the leading political figures.
Other Word Forms
- nonsatire noun
Etymology
Origin of satire
First recorded in 1500–10; from Latin satira, variant of satura “medley,” perhaps feminine derivative of satur “sated” ( saturate )
Compare meaning
How does satire compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
In television, Netflix limited series "Adolescence," medical drama "The Pitt" and Apple's Hollywood satire "The Studio" are poised to repeat their Emmys success.
From Barron's
It’s an awful, protracted sequence that begs the question, satire or not, is this truly the funniest bit they could hatch?
From Los Angeles Times
There is a particular kind of hypocrisy so brazen, so cartoonishly on-the-nose, that it almost defies satire.
From Salon
“Sometimes I use examples, sometimes political satire. Tonight’s going to be full of satire. As I look around, we’ve got a long way to go. We just get people where we can find them.”
From Salon
Brazilian director Karim Ainouz's surreal satire "Rosebush Pruning" premiered on Saturday at the Berlin Film Festival with one of the programme's starriest casts portraying an outrageously spoiled and dysfunctional family descending into chaos.
From Barron's
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
