Satire terms

Horatian satire

a form of literature, film, or art that uses light-hearted, witty, and tolerant humor to gently mock the everyday follies, absurdities, and vices of human beings; with a primary goal of amusing the audience

Juvenalian satire

a form of satire that criticizes contemporary individuals and institutions with severity and contempt; seeking to inspire social change by making the audience feel indignant and frustrated

parody

a literary or musical work in which the style of an author or work is closely imitated for comic effect or in ridicule

caricature

exaggeration by means of often ludicrous distortion of parts or characteristics; a representation especially in literature or art that has the qualities of caricature

burlesque

a literary or dramatic work that seeks to ridicule by means of grotesque exaggeration or comic imitation

wit

the ability to relate seemingly disparate things so as to illuminate or amuse

epigram

a concise poem dealing pointedly and often satirically with a single thought or event and often ending with an ingenious turn of thought; a terse, sage, or witty and often paradoxical saying

sarcasm

the use of words that mean the opposite of what one intends to say especially in order to insult, to show irritation, or to be funny; a mode of satirical wit depending for its effect on ironic and usually bitter and caustic language often directed against an individual

repartee

a quick and witty reply; a succession or interchange of clever retorts, amusing and usually light sparring with words

allusion

an implied or indirect reference

tone

style or manner of expression in speaking or writing

irony

juxtaposition of what, on the surface, appears to be the case with what is actually or expected to be the case

verbal irony

the use of words to convey a meaning opposite to their literal meaning, often for humorous, emphatic, or sarcastic effect

situational irony

incongruity between the actual result of a sequence of events and the normal or expected result

dramatic irony

incongruity between a situation developed in a drama and the accompanying words or actions that is understood by the audience but not by the characters in the play

socratic irony

a pretense of ignorance and of willingness to learn from another assumed in order to make the other's false conceptions conspicuous by adroit questioning

cosmic irony

any situation where it seems like the universe has a sense of humor and conspires against an individual or group, creating a reversal of expectations

literal

adhering to fact or to the ordinary construction or primary meaning of a term or expression

figurative

expressing one thing in terms normally denoting another with which it may be regarded as analogous, characterized by figures of speech

pessimism

an inclination to emphasize adverse aspects, conditions, and possibilities or to expect the worst possible outcome

misanthropic

marked by a hatred or contempt for humankind

optimism

an inclination to put the most favorable construction upon actions and events or to anticipate the best possible outcome

philanthropists

those who make an active effort to promote human welfare, people who practice goodwill to fellow members of the human race

Pollyanna

a person characterized by irrepressible optimism and a tendency to find good in everything

double entendre

a word or expression capable of two interpretations with one usually risqué

farce

a light dramatic composition marked by broadly satirical comedy and improbable plot

lampoon

a harsh satire usually directed against an individual

pun

the usually humorous use of a word in such a way as to suggest two or more of its meanings or the meaning of another word similar in sound

slapstick

comedy stressing farce and horseplay

tall tale

a story that is very difficult to believe, a greatly exaggerated story