Burlesque

Part of speech: noun, verb

Pronunciation: /bə(ɹ)ˈlɛsk/

Definitions

1. A performance or literary style that uses exaggerated imitation and absurdity to ridicule or satirize a subject, often through crude humor and parody
2. A theatrical or literary form employing grotesque exaggeration and comedic distortion to mock or deride something serious or conventional
3. A style of humor that amplifies features to ridicule ; a form of theatrical show featuring provocative and often bawdy acts

Etymology: The word began in Italy as "burlesco," meaning "parodic" or "mocking," and it came from a root tied to jesting and ridicule. Its earliest sense was about mockery in writing and speech, not about the stage. French then took the adjective as "burlesque," and English borrowed it from French, so the word arrived already carrying a parodic edge. The notion of exaggeration at its heart explains the modern senses. A burlesque piece blew up its target's features until they looked absurd, and that technique gave the English word its humorous, ridiculing meaning. The later theatrical sense, a show of bawdy song, dance and comic sketches, grew out of that same exaggerating spirit, so the stage meaning and the literary one share one core idea: amplifying something until it becomes funny.

Synonyms: parody, satire, caricature, spoof, mockery

Antonyms: seriousness, truth, formality, gravity, sincerity