¹burlesque

noun bur·lesque \(ˌ)bər-ˈlesk\

: a play, story, novel, etc., that makes a serious subject seem funny or ridiculous

: a kind of entertainment that was popular in the U.S. in the late 19th and early 20th centuries and that included funny performances, singing, dancing, etc., and sometimes performances in which women took off their clothes

Full Definition of BURLESQUE

: a literary or dramatic work that seeks to ridicule by means of grotesque exaggeration or comic imitation

: mockery usually by caricature

: theatrical entertainment of a broadly humorous often earthy character consisting of short turns, comic skits, and sometimes striptease acts

— burlesque adjective

— bur·lesque·ly adverb

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Origin of BURLESQUE

burlesque, adjective, comic, droll, from French, from Italian burlesco, from burla joke, from Spanish

First Known Use: 1667

Related to BURLESQUE

Synonyms: parody, caricature, put-on, rib, send-up, spoof, takeoff, travesty

Synonym Discussion of BURLESQUE

caricature, burlesque, parody, travesty mean a comic or grotesque imitation. caricature implies ludicrous exaggeration of the characteristic features of a subject <caricatures of politicians in cartoons>. burlesque implies mockery especially through giving a serious or lofty subject a frivolous treatment <a nightclub burlesque of a trial in court>. parody applies especially to treatment of a trivial or ludicrous subject in the exactly imitated style of a well-known author or work <a witty parody of a popular novel>. travesty implies that the subject remains unchanged but that the style is extravagant or absurd <this production is a travesty of the opera>.