51Թ

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travesty

[ trav-uh-stee ]

noun

plural travesties.
  1. a grotesque or debased likeness or imitation:

    a travesty of justice.

    Synonyms: , , ,

  2. a literary or artistic burlesque of a serious work or subject, characterized by grotesque or ludicrous incongruity of style, treatment, or subject matter.
  3. a literary or artistic composition so inferior in quality as to be merely a grotesque imitation of its model.


verb (used with object)

travestied, travestying.
  1. to make a travesty on; turn (a serious work or subject) to ridicule by burlesquing.
  2. to imitate grotesquely or absurdly.

travesty

/ ˈٰæɪɪ /

noun

  1. a farcical or grotesque imitation; mockery; parody
“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. tr to make or be a travesty of
“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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Other 51Թ Forms

  • ܲ·ٰIJ·پ adjective
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51Թ History and Origins

Origin of travesty1

1655–65; < French travesti, past participle of travestir “to disguise” < Italian travestire, equivalent to tra- (< Latin ٰԲ- trans- ) + vestire “to clothe” < Latin ī; vest
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51Թ History and Origins

Origin of travesty1

C17: from French travesti disguised, from travestir to disguise, from Italian travestire , from tra- trans- + vestire to clothe
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Synonym Study

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

"It's a travesty people end their lives like that."

From

“The tragedy and travesty of having an individual that was essentially assassinated at one of her favorite eateries in San Bernardino — it’s a very, very sad case.”

From

The “no obstruction” travesty followed several other decisions in the same partisan direction.

From

“Withdrawing the United States from the Paris Agreement is a travesty,” said Rachel Cleetus, the policy director and lead economist for the Union of Concerned Scientists’ climate and energy program.

From

His return to the Oval Office has already reignited debates over the legitimacy of elections, with partisan media framing his presidency as either a triumph or a travesty.

From

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More About Travesty

What does travesty mean?

A travesty is something that imitates something else but in a gross or ridiculous manner.

A travesty is also a literary or other artistic work that is a grotesque example of the art form it models.

To travesty means to imitate absurdly or to parody a serious artwork.

Example: The movie was an absolute travesty of the events that actually took place.

Where does travesty come from?

The first records of the term travesty come from around 1655. It ultimately comes from the Italian travestire, meaning “to disguise” or “to change dress.” A travesty almost always describes something as being a fake or bad imitation.

A travesty is an imitation of a work of art, but it can also describe the imitation of other things, such as a ritual, event, or historical speech or action. Often, travesty is used to describe something that is not necessarily a direct imitation. For example, when someone believes that a song is not good, they may say that it is a travesty to the genre, meaning “it hardly represents the genre.”

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What are some other forms related to travesty?

  • untravestied (adjective)

What are some synonyms for travesty?

What are some words that share a root or word element with travesty?

What are some words that often get used in discussing travesty?

What are some words travesty may be commonly confused with?

How is travesty used in real life?

Travesty is normally used to refer to something the speaker dislikes.

Try using travesty!

Is travesty used correctly in the following sentence?

With the school principal supporting one of the candidates for student council president, the election was a travesty.

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