51Թ

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View synonyms for

burlesque

[ ber-lesk ]

noun

  1. an artistic composition, especially literary or dramatic, that, for the sake of laughter, vulgarizes lofty material or treats ordinary material with mock dignity.

    Synonyms: , ,

  2. any ludicrous parody or grotesque caricature.
  3. Also burlesk. a humorous and provocative stage show featuring slapstick humor, comic skits, bawdy songs, striptease acts, and a scantily clad female chorus.


adjective

  1. involving ludicrous or mocking treatment of a solemn subject.
  2. of, relating to, or like stage-show burlesque.

verb (used with object)

burlesqued, burlesquing.
  1. to make ridiculous by mocking representation.

verb (used without object)

burlesqued, burlesquing.
  1. to use caricature.

burlesque

/ ɜːˈɛ /

noun

  1. an artistic work, esp literary or dramatic, satirizing a subject by caricaturing it
  2. a ludicrous imitation or caricature
  3. a play of the 17th–19th centuries that parodied some contemporary dramatic fashion or event
  4. Alsoburlesk theatre a bawdy comedy show of the late 19th and early 20th centuries: the striptease eventually became one of its chief elements Slang nameburleycue
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

adjective

  1. of, relating to, or characteristic of a burlesque
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

verb

  1. to represent or imitate (a person or thing) in a ludicrous way; caricature
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Derived Forms

  • ܰˈܱ, noun
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Other 51Թ Forms

  • ܰ·ܱ· adverb
  • ܰ·· noun
  • ·ܰ·ܱ adjective
  • ܲ·ܰ·ܱ adjective
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51Թ History and Origins

Origin of burlesque1

1650–60; < French < Italian burlesco, equivalent to burl ( a ) jest (perhaps < Spanish; burladero ) + -esco -esque
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51Թ History and Origins

Origin of burlesque1

C17: from French, from Italian burlesco , from burla a jest, piece of nonsense
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Synonym Study

Burlesque, caricature, parody, travesty refer to the literary or dramatic forms that imitate serious works or subjects to achieve a humorous or satiric purpose. The characteristic device of burlesque is mockery of both high and low through association with their opposites: a burlesque of high and low life. Caricature, usually associated with visual arts or with visual effects in literary works, implies exaggeration of characteristic details: The caricature emphasized his nose. Parody achieves its humor through application of the manner or technique, usually of a well-known writer, to unaccustomed subjects: a parody by Swift. Travesty implies a grotesque form of burlesque: characters so changed as to produce a travesty.
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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

She is not terminally ill, but the 39-year-old performance and burlesque artist has been approved for assisted dying under Canada's increasingly liberal laws.

From

Dugoni’s first customer was a biker bar in Oakland that hosted a burlesque show.

From

The salvaged materials are sold to costume designers, ravers, and people in the burlesque industry, who save by buying second hand.

From

There’s a shot of a burlesque dancer dressed like Cupid, but overall you hear as much talk about siblings as you do sweethearts.

From

"This is the slowest burlesque ever," said another.

From

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