satire

noun

sat·ire ˈsa-ˌtī(-ə)r

: a literary work holding up human vices and follies to ridicule or scorn

: trenchant wit, irony, or sarcasm used to expose and discredit vice or folly

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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."

Choose the Right Synonym for satire

wit, humor, irony, sarcasm, satire, repartee mean a mode of expression intended to arouse amusement.

wit suggests the power to evoke laughter by remarks showing verbal felicity or ingenuity and swift perception especially of the incongruous.

a playful wit

humor implies an ability to perceive the ludicrous, the comical, and the absurd in human life and to express these usually without bitterness.

a sense of humor

irony applies to a manner of expression in which the intended meaning is the opposite of what is seemingly expressed.

the irony of the title

sarcasm applies to expression frequently in the form of irony that is intended to cut or wound.

given to heartless sarcasm

satire applies to writing that exposes or ridicules conduct, doctrines, or institutions either by direct criticism or more often through irony, parody, or caricature.

a satire on the Congress

repartee implies the power of answering quickly, pointedly, or wittily.

a dinner guest noted for repartee

Example Sentences

By contrast, Martial's friend, Juvenal, learned to transmute Martial's epigrammatic wit into savage satire. Juvenal's fierce, if occasionally obscene, tirades against immorality fit easily into the propaganda of the new era.

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.

Recent Examples on the Web While the Netflix climate-apocalypse satire was in development, Perry took a meeting with one Adam McKay, which resulted in the offer of a role.

Seija Rankin, The Hollywood Reporter, 26 Oct. 2022 The satire was razor sharp, with Garry Shandling as an insecure, neurotic, and competitive late-night host desperate to stay famous.

Matthew Gilbert, BostonGlobe.com, 24 Oct. 2022 Mike White's systemic-oppression-on-vacation satire was a big hit last summer.

Kristen Baldwin, EW.com, 12 July 2022 The workplace satire will be back for a second season.

oregonlive, 17 May 2022 The actress, who most recently appeared in Netflix’s Dahmer, has repeatedly gone viral for starring opposite herself in sendups of classic rom-coms that offer the perfect blend of satire and earnest appreciation.

J. Clara Chan, The Hollywood Reporter, 6 Nov. 2022 It’s one of the many fantastically deranged scenes in the Roku original movie (out Nov. 4), which is part biopic, part satire, and completely insane.

Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 2 Nov. 2022 The result is a fresh mix of social satire and relationship dissection with a saving dollop of heart.

Dennis Harvey, Variety, 6 Oct. 2022 But Nights of Plague is unmistakably satire and allegory.

Judith Shulevitz, The Atlantic, 30 Sep. 2022 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'satire.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

1501, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler

The first known use of satire was in 1501

See more words from the same year