satire
noun
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The Culinary Roots of Satire
Satire came into English at the beginning of the 16th century, and the meaning of the word has not strayed very far from its original sense. The initial uses were primarily applied to poems, and the term now has a broader applicability. Satire has a semantic and etymological overlap with both farce and lampoon. Farce ("a light dramatic composition marked by broadly satirical comedy and improbable plot") came into English as a synonym for forcemeat, meaning "finely chopped and highly seasoned meat or fish that is either served alone or used as a stuffing." Lampoon ("a harsh satire usually directed against an individual") is thought to come from the French lampons!, meaning "let us guzzle!" And satire is believed to trace back to the Latin satur, meaning "well-fed."
Synonyms
- lampoon
- pasquinade
Example Sentences
G. W. Bowersock, New York Review of Books, 26 Feb. 2009 Unlike late-night talk shows that traffic in Hollywood interviews and stupid pet tricks, "The Daily Show" is a fearless social satire. Not many comedy shows would dare do five minutes on the intricacies of medicare or a relentlessly cheeky piece on President George W. Bush's Thanksgiving trip to Iraq … Marc Peyser, Newsweek, 29 Dec. 2003 - 5 Jan. 2004 Saturday Night Live alum Bill Murray stars in this film about Army basic training, and it features Second City TV veterans John Candy and Harold Ramis. Director Ivan Reitman co-produced Animal House. Do not, however, expect a devastating satire on the military; this film is so innocuous that the Defense Department let Reitman use Fort Knox, Ky. to make it. People, 27 July 1981 His movies are known for their use of satire. The movie is a political satire. Ron Charles, Washington Post, 13 Sep. 2022 Colbert's Comedy Central news satire, The Colbert Report, earned a 2012 nomination before ending in 2014. Zoey Lyttle, Peoplemag, 12 Sep. 2022 Robert Crumb social satire, even Matt Groening’s Akbar and Jeff. Armond White, National Review, 31 Aug. 2022 And few films feel as extravagantly 2022 as Bodies Bodies Bodies, a blithe, ruthless slasher satire soaked in the digital-native lingo and dizzy Euphoria nihilism of Gen Z. Leah Greenblatt, EW.com, 12 Aug. 2022 Centered around a Korean girl determined to save her beloved pet from being taken away by a powerful corporation, Okja is equal parts a whimsical fable and a dark, compelling satire. Hannah Jeon, Good Housekeeping, 11 Aug. 2022 The final scene of the season might be the most biting satire: when Homelander explodes a guy’s head and his fans…cheer. Evan Romano, Men's Health, 8 July 2022 Dark styles of humor, such as irony, satire, sarcasm, and cynicism. Mark Travers, Forbes, 24 June 2022 The novel pairs slapstick political satire with tender observations about the relationship between parents and children. Amy Hubbard, Los Angeles Times, 6 Sep. 2022 See More Word History
Middle French or Latin; Middle French, from Latin satura, satira, perhaps from (lanx) satura dish of mixed ingredients, from feminine of satur well-fed; akin to Latin satis enough — more at sad
1501, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Kids Definition
satire
noun
satire
noun
Synonyms & Similar Words
- parody
- spoof
- lampoon
- comedy
- pasquinade
- caricature
- burlesque
- skit
- ridicule
- farce
- slapstick
- sketch
- takeoff
- squib
- cartoon
- derision
- mockery
- travesty
Synonym Chooser
Some common synonyms of satire are humor, irony, repartee, sarcasm, and wit. While all these words mean "a mode of expression intended to arouse amusement," satire applies to writing that exposes or ridicules conduct, doctrines, or institutions either by direct criticism or more often through irony, parody, or caricature.
While in some cases nearly identical to satire, humor implies an ability to perceive the ludicrous, the comical, and the absurd in human life and to express these usually without bitterness.
Although the words irony and satire have much in common, irony applies to a manner of expression in which the intended meaning is the opposite of what is seemingly expressed.
The synonyms repartee and satire are sometimes interchangeable, but repartee implies the power of answering quickly, pointedly, or wittily.
The words sarcasm and satire can be used in similar contexts, but sarcasm applies to expression frequently in the form of irony that is intended to cut or wound.
The meanings of wit and satire largely overlap; however, wit suggests the power to evoke laughter by remarks showing verbal felicity or ingenuity and swift perception especially of the incongruous.