Satire Types and Literary Techniques: Definitions and Examples

Satire

A literary technique that uses humor, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule to expose flaws in culture, society, or human nature—with the goal of inspiring improvement or change.

Formal Satire

Uses first-person point of view and the speaker directly addresses the audience.

Indirect Satire

Uses plot, characters, or narrative instead of speaking directly to the reader.

Horatian Satire

Light, witty, gentle satire that makes fun of human weaknesses in a friendly way, aiming to encourage change through laughter, not rage.

Juvenalian Satire

Bitter, dark, angry satire that attacks social evils with sarcasm and moral indignation, leading to darker laughter or discomfort.

Optimist (Satirist)

Likes people but sees them as foolish or blind and believes people can improve.

Pessimist (Satirist)

Loves individuals but hates mankind as a whole and is more cynical.

Invective / Diatribe

Harsh, direct attacks involving name-calling, ranting, and personal abuse, with no irony or sarcasm—just anger.

Farce

Ridiculous, improbable situations featuring exaggerated characters and physical humor.

Caricature

Distortion of a person's features or traits for emphasis, exposing flaws through exaggeration.

Grotesque

A mix of laughter and horror that makes you amused and disturbed at the same time.

Understatement

Making something seem less important than it actually is, often without the speaker realizing the importance.

Juxtaposition

Placing two contrasting things side-by-side to highlight differences.

Sarcasm

Verbal irony meant to mock or hurt.

Parody

Imitation of a style, person, or genre through exaggeration, evoking amusement and using an existing form for humor.

Burlesque

Vulgar or ridiculous treatment of a serious subject.

Mock-Heroic

Treating a trivial subject with grand, elevated, heroic language.

Logical Fallacies

Errors in reasoning that weaken arguments, which can still be persuasive.

Hasty Generalization

Making assumptions about an entire group based on insufficient or unrepresentative evidence.

Missing the Point

The argument supports a different conclusion than the one the speaker actually reaches.

Post Hoc (Ergo Propter Hoc)

Assuming that because A happened before B, A caused B.

Slippery Slope

Claiming that one small step will lead to a chain reaction of events—without evidence.

Weak Analogy

Comparing two things that are not actually similar enough to support the conclusion.

Appeal to Authority

Using a well-known or respected person as evidence instead of actual facts.

Appeal to Pity

Trying to win support by making the audience feel sorry.

Appeal to Ignorance

Arguing that something must be true because there is no evidence proving it false (or vice-versa).

Straw Man

Misrepresenting or oversimplifying an opponent's argument to make it easier to attack.

Red Herring

Introducing an irrelevant topic to distract from the real issue.

False Dichotomy

Presenting only two extreme choices when more options exist.

Equivocation

Using a word with multiple meanings and switching between them to support an argument.

Non Sequitur

A conclusion that does not logically follow from the previous statements.

Circular Reasoning

When the conclusion is repeated as evidence; the argument goes in a circle.

Reductio ad Absurdum

Taking an opponent's argument to a ridiculous extreme to make it seem false.

Poisoning the Well

Attacking a person before they can present their argument to discredit them.

Appeal to Tradition

Arguing something is correct because it's always been done that way.

Stacking the Deck

Only presenting evidence that supports your side and ignoring the evidence that doesn't.

Hypothesis Contrary to Fact

Starting with a false hypothetical ("If this had happened...") and using it as evidence for a conclusion.

Moving the Goalposts

After someone meets the criteria or answers a challenge, you change the requirements to avoid admitting they're right.