Definition of Travesty

1. Noun. A comedy characterized by broad satire and improbable situations.

Exact synonyms: Farce, Farce Comedy
Generic synonyms: Comedy
Derivative terms: Farcical

2. Verb. Make a travesty of.
Generic synonyms: Burlesque, Parody, Spoof

3. Noun. A composition that imitates or misrepresents somebody's style, usually in a humorous way.

Definition of Travesty

1. a. Disguised by dress so as to be ridiculous; travestied; - - applied to a book or shorter composition.

2. n. A burlesque translation or imitation of a work.

3. v. t. To translate, imitate, or represent, so as to render ridiculous or ludicrous.

Definition of Travesty

1. Noun. An absurd or grotesque misrepresentation ¹

2. Noun. A parody or stylistic imitation. ¹

3. Noun. (pejorative) A grossly inferior imitation. ¹

4. Verb. (transitive) To make a travesty of; to parody. ¹

¹ Source: wiktionary.com

Definition of Travesty

1. to parody [v -TIED, -TYING, -TIES] - See also: parody

Medical Definition of Travesty

1. To translate, imitate, or represent, so as to render ridiculous or ludicrous. "I see poor Lucan travestied, not appareled in his Roman toga, but under the cruel shears of an English tailor." (Bentley) Origin: Travestied; Travesting. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998)

Lexicographical Neighbors of Travesty

traversals
traverse
traversed
traverser
traversers
traverses
traversing
traverso
traversos
travertine
travertines
travertinous
traves
travestied
travesties
travesty (current term)
travestying
travis
travises
travois
travoise
travoises
trawl
trawl line
trawl net
trawlboat
trawlboats
trawled
trawler
trawlerman

Literary usage of Travesty

Below you will find example usage of this term as found in modern and/or classical literature:

1. Encyclopædia Americana: A Popular Dictionary of Arts, Sciences, Literature by Thomas Gamaliel Bradford (1835)
"travesty presupposes weak points in the travestied subject; ... But travesty, being a direct attempt to throw ridicule on subjects of an elevated character, ..."

2. Encyclopaedia Americana: A Popular Dictionary of Arts, Sciences, Literature by Francis Lieber, Thomas Gamaliel Bradford (1832)
"travesty presupposes weak points in the travestied subject; ... But travesty, being a direct attempt to throw ridicule on subjects of an elevated character, ..."

3. The Representative Significance of Form: An Essay in Comparative Aesthetics by George Lansing Raymond (1909)
"... Mock-Heroic—In the Parody— In the Farce and Pun—The Ludicrous in the Grotesque—Another Example—In the Droll—In the Jocular—The Ludicrous in travesty—In ..."

4. The Book of Humorous Verse by Carolyn Wells (1920)
"... like a delicate flower; Oh, breathe on it softly, it dies in an hour. Catherine Fanshawe. travesty OF MISS FANSHAWE'S ENIGMA I DWELLS in the Hearth, ..."

5. "Polly Peachum": Being the Story of Lavinia Fenton (duchess of Bolton) and by Charles E. Pearce (1913)
"... Gibbon and Boswell on the " morality " of The Beggar's Opera—Sir John Fielding's correspondence with Colman and Garrick— Colman's extraordinary travesty ..."

6. Maryland Historical Magazine by Maryland Historical Society (1918)
"... MANUSCRIPT travesty OF THE ILIAD HL KOOPMAN. In the Harris collection of American Poetry in the Brown University Library is a stout manuscript volume in ..."

7. Diary and Correspondence of Samuel Pepys, F.R.S.: Secretary to the by Samuel Pepys, John A. Smith, Richard Griffin Braybrooke (1855)
"... Virgile travesty;"1 extraordinary good. After dinner, my wife cut my hair short, which is grown pretty long again. March 2d. This morning, Mr. Burghy, ..."

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