Merriam - Webster Word of the day * travesty *

travesty


1 of 2


noun


trav·​es·​ty ˈtra-və-stē

plural travesties


Synonyms of travesty
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


Example Sentences


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


Noun

But to believe these worthy schools and programs in the West can only survive by attaching themselves to associations in faraway time zones, in the dusty plains and urban centers of the midwest, would be not just an unbalanced travesty, but a bad joke. —
Gordon Monson, The Salt Lake Tribune, 27 July 2023 Marty marched up to Gray, introduced himself as Oppenheimer’s biographer, and proceeded to explain why what Gray’s father had done in 1954 was a travesty.