All words

satire

Meaning

A literary or artistic composition that employs ridicule, irony, exaggeration, or contempt to expose and criticize people's stupidity or vices, particularly in the context of contemporary politics and other topical issues.

Examples by difficulty

Basic: Simple, everyday vocabulary — the easiest to read.

The comedian's act was sharp, pointing out how silly politicians acted. He used jokes that made fun of their overblown promises and fake smiles. It was clear satire, a way to laugh at their foolishness and show everyone how ridiculous some public figures can be.

The online forum erupted, a storm of angry posts. Some fans, using sharp wit and outlandish comparisons, were clearly indulging in satire. Their mocking, over-the-top criticisms of the bizarre new rules for competitive pigeon racing aimed to expose the absurdity of it all, but many missed the joke entirely.

The online forum dedicated to competitive pigeon racing was ablaze. A newcomer, clearly unfamiliar with the unspoken rules of avian aesthetics, posted a lengthy treatise arguing that the fluffiness of a pigeon's neck was the ultimate indicator of a bird's worth. The ensuing replies, dripping with exaggerated politeness and thinly veiled insults about the poster's "unique perspective," were a masterclass in pure satire, mocking the absurd seriousness of their hobby.

The comedian's act was pure satire, using silly voices and funny faces to poke fun at how everyone is obsessed with their phones. He pretended to be a talking toaster, complaining about crumbs and burning bread, which was a funny way to show us how silly we can be.

The politician, whose speeches were longer than a snail's breakfast, was a perfect subject for satire. He'd promise the moon on a stick, then trip over his own shoelaces. His ridiculous claims and silly faces made for a hilarious show, proving that sometimes, making fun of big shots is the best way to point out their silliness.

Normal: Standard, everyday language.

The late-night show host, with a knowing smirk, launched into his latest bit. He masterfully used biting humor and exaggerated scenarios to expose the sheer absurdity of the current policy debates. It was pure satire, a sharp jab at the politicians' blatant incompetence that left the audience roaring with laughter and agreement.

The comedian’s routine, a biting piece of satire, relentlessly mocked the city council’s absurd new ordinance demanding all pigeons wear tiny, reflective vests. He used every trick, from over-the-top impressions of the mayor to exaggerated tales of pigeon traffic jams, to highlight their utter lack of sense and priorities.

The village elder, a man whose pronouncements were usually met with hushed reverence, was currently the subject of the traveling puppeteers' latest show. Their crude, wooden figures, crudely carved and roughly painted, mimicked his pompous speeches and absurd pronouncements about mandatory sock color coordination. It was pure, biting satire, designed to lampoon his ridiculous attempts at control.

Brenda's pottery class produced surprisingly effective satire. Her lumpy clay elephants, wearing tiny monocles and clutching miniature briefcases, hilariously skewered corporate greed. The entire room erupted in laughter at the sheer absurdity, recognizing the ridiculousness of their own material desires.

My Uncle Barry's annual fruitcake-baking competition has devolved into pure, unadulterated satire. He now coats the entire monstrosity in glitter and calls it a "modern art installation," while his rivals, armed with only ladles and existential dread, attempt to defend their culinary honor. It’s a sticky, sugar-fueled exposé on the absurdity of competitive baking.

Advanced: Richer vocabulary that stretches an upper-level reader.

The comedian's show offered a biting satire, relentlessly mocking the politicians' absurd pronouncements and the public's gullibility. Each joke, laced with sharp irony, highlighted their foolishness and flawed decisions, leaving the audience groaning with uncomfortable recognition.

The village elder, a pompous man obsessed with the precise angle of his prize-winning pumpkin's stem, was the perfect subject for Elias's latest village newsletter. Elias's writings, often filled with pointed ridicule and absurd exaggeration, served as a popular form of satire, subtly mocking the community's petty obsessions and the elder's pompous pronouncements, making everyone chuckle at their own silliness.

The political cartoonist’s latest work, a scathing bit of satire depicting council members wrestling over a single, tarnished donut, expertly ridiculed their petty squabbles over insignificant town funds. It exposed their shortsightedness and vanity, making the absurdity of their behavior crystal clear.

The online commentator's latest piece, a masterclass in sharp satire, skewered politicians who treated the national budget like their personal checkbook. With audacious exaggeration and a sneer dripping with irony, they exposed the profound stupidity of those who prioritized personal gain over public service, leaving readers gasping with laughter and a touch of dread.

The renowned plumber's treatise on optimal toilet plunger technique, while ostensibly instructional, contained a biting satire. He used outlandish diagrams and hyperbolic pronouncements to ridicule the bureaucratic inertia hindering his pursuit of the perfect seal, implying our entire municipal government suffered from a chronic clog of ineptitude.

Challenging: Rare, high-register vocabulary for serious word lovers.

The comedian’s monologue, a scathing piece of satire, expertly deployed contempt to lampoon the oblivious pronouncements of the president. Through artful exaggeration, it exposed the inherent vacuity in the administration's latest policy, a palpable critique of their egregious mismanagement of the ongoing crisis.

The senator, a pompous buffoon, believed his pronouncements were gospel, yet the cartoonist's biting satire meticulously deconstructed his every fatuous utterance, exposing the profound vacuity beneath the polished veneer. The public, gleefully recognizing the absurdities, found solace in the ridicule.

The pompous magistrate, pontificating about fiscal probity while pilfering public funds, became the subject of a scathing pamphlet. This piece of biting satire, using egregious exaggeration and biting irony, served to illuminate his blatant venality and the town's collective gullibility.

The new sitcom masterfully employs satire, using absurd scenarios and preposterous characters to skewer the pompous pronouncements of so-called "thought leaders." Its audacious lampooning of societal foibles, presented with mirthful malfeasance, proves hilariously effective in illuminating human folly.

His latest performance, a scathing satire of artisanal sourdough evangelists, masterfully employed preposterous pronouncements and ludicrous leaps of logic to excoriate their egregious affectations. The audience roared, recognizing the indictment of their own culinary foibles cloaked in flamboyant, fermented absurdity.

Difficulty

Advanced — Less frequent words that stretch an upper-level vocabulary.

Appears in

Play word games with satire Take the 2 minute vocabulary size test