travesty

1 of 2

noun

trav·​es·​ty ˈtra-və-stē How to pronounce travesty (audio)
plural travesties
1
: a debased, distorted, or grossly inferior imitation
a travesty of justice
2
: a burlesque translation or literary or artistic imitation usually grotesquely incongruous in style, treatment, or subject matter

travesty

2 of 2

verb

travestied; travestying

transitive verb

: to make a travesty of : parody

Did you know?

When disaster strikes, keeping track of which word to use seems pretty unimportant. But you don’t want to describe disastrous events as travesties, because they’re not: they’re tragedies. Travesties are terrible too, but travesty refers specifically to something that is done in a way that makes a mockery of what it’s supposed to be: for example, a contest won by the judge’s spouse could be considered a travesty. And a trial in which the defendant wasn’t allowed to present evidence could be described as a “travesty of justice.” Travesty, which can also function as a verb meaning “to make a travesty of” or “to parody,” comes from the French verb travestir, meaning “to disguise.” Its roots, however, wind back through Italian to the Latin verb vestire, meaning “to clothe” or “to dress.” Other descendants of vestire include vestment, divest, and invest.

Choose the Right Synonym for travesty

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

Examples of travesty in a Sentence

Noun It is a travesty and a tragedy that so many people would be denied the right to vote. The trial was a travesty of justice. Verb this comedy sketch mindlessly travesties the hard work of relief workers around the world
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Tech accessories are no longer a fashion travesty—thanks to LaQuan Smith and Samsung. Robyn Merrett, StyleCaster, 11 Sep. 2024 This is an abject travesty, since the blatherskite Biden and the sycophantic cabal of fellow Democrats, the lamestream media, Hollywood elites, academia, Big Tech, etc. are the ones who have driven the political temperature to the boiling point. Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 16 July 2024
Verb
In 1933, the Marx Brothers mocked dictatorship with Duck Soup; three decades later, Kubrick and writer Terry Southern travestied the Bomb. The New Republic, 22 June 2023 Readers may be tempted to side at one moment with the defenders of Jewish caution and Jewish sentiment, however their instincts are travestied, and soon afterward with Zuckerman’s principled view of the autonomy of art. Cynthia Ozick, WSJ, 25 May 2018 See all Example Sentences for travesty 

Word History

Etymology

Noun

obsolete English travesty disguised, parodied, from French travesti, past participle of travestir to disguise, from Italian travestire, from tra- across (from Latin trans-) + vestire to dress, from Latin — more at vest entry 2

First Known Use

Noun

circa 1668, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1667, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of travesty was in 1667

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Dictionary Entries Near travesty

Cite this Entry

“Travesty.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/travesty. Accessed 23 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

travesty

noun
trav·​es·​ty
ˈtrav-ə-stē
plural travesties
1
: an imitation that makes crude fun of something
2
: an inferior imitation or likeness
a travesty of justice
travesty verb

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