SYNONYMS AND RELATED EXPRESSIONS
satire
noun
Humor, irony, or exaggeration used to expose and criticize faults or wrongdoing.
Local English device voice, when available. This is not a recorded dictionary pronunciation.
Humorous criticism
Closest synonyms
Related words and expressions
These extend or explain the idea and may require a different sentence structure.
Usage distinction
Return to topSatire uses humor to expose faults or wrongdoing. Parody imitates a style and can be affectionate; caricature exaggerates selected traits.
CHECK THE MEANING IN CONTEXT
See satire in use
The play uses satire to question the town's obsession with elaborate ceremonies.
For a writing workshop, Tessa created a satire about a committee that required permission forms before anyone could request a permission form.
Compare an alternative with the original word in each passage. Shared meanings do not make every pair interchangeable.
Synonym reference scope and sources
The groups distinguish the senses selected for this study entry. Closest synonyms and broader related expressions have separate labels. The listed sources support lexical selection; not every phrase is a direct quotation from a source.
How the synonym reference was prepared / WordNet 3.0 license